Broken Home
by Soladara
Summary: This story is now dead. Thanks for reading.
1. Chapter 1

As much as I love Belle and Rumplestiltskin together, the fact is, Once has put a huge wall in front of them. I don't think they can tear it down without a lot of motivation and some outside intervention. So this is my take on how that could be accomplished.

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><p>The graying man stumbled down the last of the bus's steps, barely catching himself from a nasty fall. He was disheveled, in balmy Boston without a warm enough coat, and seemed slightly confused as he looked around himself.<p>

Spotting a Starbucks he stepped inside, the air warmer reeking of burnt coffee and false cheer. His drip was met with a knowing look, and when he reached into his pocket to pay, the wallet was thin and contained not a bit of plastic.

Mr. Gold—Rumplestiltskin—was a man used to being stared at, but he found the looks inside the afternoon shop too reminiscent of his past life, a life when his clothes had looked much like they did now. Taking his cup, he moved to one of the tables outside—empty due to the chill in the air, and sat heavily, tipping his feet so his burning soles could rest, and ease the blisters caused by his foreign shoes.

Angry voices filled the streets, impatient and cursing, but he ignored them, focusing on the warm cup between his hands and the constant litany of images that plagued his mind. Always, there was Belle's pain filled eyes and Bae's accusing ones.

The metal chair across from him suddenly screeched noisily across the concrete as it was drawn back, before a handsome young man with blond hair and cold blue eyes sat before him. Rumplestiltskin glared at the rudeness, intent on telling the college student to remove himself, when another metal chair scraped across the ground, right up to the table, and a tall man, slightly older than the first but still young, slid into it with easy grace.

"Hello Dark One," said the first, his accent grating as he sounded exactly like that damnable pirate. "What, no scone? You strike me as the scone type. I can spare you a few if you'd like one." Reaching into the pocket of his wool coat, he pulled out his wallet and removed a ten, "Actually, that sounds good about now." He turned towards his companion, "You want one, Mate?"

The older friend shook his head, turning instead to draw around his body, an object Rumplestiltskin both loathed and needed. Deep brown eyes held a measure of knowing as he passed the cane, his voice, like his companions, was British, but his dialect was refined and he spoke with soft, deepness that fit well with his rugged good looks, "I thought you'd be wanting this." He waited the half second for Rumplestiltskin to reach out and take the object, his fingers moving restlessly over the handle, getting the feel of it.

Turning to his companion, he nodded to the bill in his hand, "Yes, thank you, Liam. I'll have whatever you are for the drink."

Rising, the younger man smiled down at the other, it was a familiar look, and as he rounded the table to enter the storefront, Rumplestiltskin watched his hand glide across the other's shoulder blades in a parting caress.

When the sound of the glass door shutting reached him, Rumplestiltskin turned to give his full attention to the other. He remained silent, a trick he'd learned long ago was best when dealing with those who truly knew more than he did, as this man obviously did.

For a long moment they regarded each other, and he couldn't help but experience a feeling of familiarity, as if he'd seen this man with the dark brown, nearly black, hair and day old stubble, before. It needled at him, and he felt frustrated at his failed memory.

"You've looked better, Mr. Gold." The younger man leaned back in his bistro chair, his posture completely relaxed. "I dare say, you've looked much better."

He sneered, "Your point?" He let the "T" sting sharply in the air between them.

The man shrugged, "An observation. I wish I could say we were here to do more, but sadly, we're only here to point you in the right direction."

"Direction to what, exactly, Dearie?" Rumplestiltskin leaned back in his own chair, but his cold hands were still wrapped around the warmth of the cup, a fact that did not escape the other.

With a sigh, the young man stood and swiftly removed his jacket before handing it to him, "It'll be too cold for this jacket in a few weeks, but it should keep you warm for a while."

Shock warred with the sneer on his face, "And why should you care about such things?"

With a shrug, those dark brown eyes looked down the street at nothing, "Because out here you're not immortal, Mr. Gold, and for my purposes, you can't be drowning in your own lungs from pneumonia in the gutter somewhere."

Well this had certainly turned into an unexpected day he thought, draping the jacket over his chilled legs. "Who are you?"

With a casual turn, those eyes locked back on his own, "Roland, Roland of Loxley, Robin's son."

And then the pieces fell into place, the rugged good looks, the accent and dark hair, yes, this was that thief's son, but not three weeks ago, he'd stared right at that four year old boy, and this was no four year old, more like a twenty-four year old.

"I see you're confused," he smiled with a bit of sarcasm, and despite himself, Rumplestiltskin found he rather liked his sense of humor. "Sadly I can't answer any of your questions, and I suspect you'll worry that mystery like a dog does a bone." He shrugged, "Suffice it to say, magic is involved, and really, what more needs to be said after that?"

"What more indeed. But I must say, I'm not sure why you've come to me. As you've pointed out, outside of Storybrooke, I have no magic to assist you in," he waved his hand dismissively, "whatever it is you want from me."

"I want to go home, Mr. Gold." The honestly took him by surprise, and Rumplestiltskin looked openly at the boy turned man. His face was earnest, "I want to go back to Storybrooke, and then I want to go home. Away from all of," he threw his hand out, "this."

"That makes two of us," Liam returned, balancing a plate of scones on top of two paper cups. The dark haired man took the plate as the blond rounded his chair to sit, once again, across from Rumplestiltskin. A quirk of his mouth was a knowing smirk he threw at Rumplestiltskin as he handed his companion one of the cups, "Though I'd say it's more like three." Reaching out, long fingers snatched a scone off the plate and shoved half of it into his mouth before turning to the other man, "So how much did you tell him?"

Roland rolled his eyes at the muffled words before bringing the drink to his lips. He immediately made a face, "Did you forget who you were buying this for?"

Swallowing, Liam beamed his pearly whites, "You said you wanted what I was having, not my fault you don't like pumpkin spice."

A soft growl under his breath was followed quickly by, "Damn cinnamon."

"Oh boo-hoo, a little tree bark'll be good for you. Put hair on your chest," and he gave that cheeky grin again and winked. Turning back towards Rumplestiltskin, Liam pushed the plate of scones a few inches closer, "Well go on, if it sits there another minute, Roland will inhale it like he does everything."

With a perturbed look, Roland reached for the plate and took a scone, leaving the last for Rumplestiltskin. He took a bite and eyed Gold, waiting expectantly until Rumplestiltskin too held a scone.

"Right," the blond said, "So as I was saying, how much does he know?"

Roland took another bite and chewed it thoughtfully, "Nothing yet, just who I am."

Rapping his knuckles on the table once, Liam smiled, "Good." Turning towards Rumplestiltskin, he nodded, "Short version then. I'm going to tell you where you can find Ursula and Cruella, and then you three evil sods are going to bust us into Storybrooke."

Rumplestiltskin blinked—that wasn't what he'd been expecting. "And how exactly do you expect us to do that, we have no magic outside the town line?"

"Rather easily actually," Roland said, leaning forward in his chair, "Ursula and Cruella each have one magical object with them, and when the three of you use those talismans together, they'll wake up Maleficent who'll bring down the boarder."

Despite being shocked to hear that Ursula and Cruella were in this realm, he chuckled at hearing their foolish plan hinging on Maleficent. Out of habit, he picked up the cane, the fake gold handle feeling cheap in his hand, "You are sadly mistaken if you believe Maleficent can do anything more than moan and wail, let alone bring down a magical boarder even I," he stressed the pronoun with bitterness, "couldn't bring down. Especially considering she's nothing more than a wraith."

Across from him, Liam popped the last of his biscuit into his mouth, chewing happily before swallowing. "Oh ye of little faith, Dark One. Recall it was Maleficent's spell that created the curse in the first place. And as Prince Philip is happy to tell anyone foolish enough to listen, she sure knows how to build a barrier spell."

"And if she knows how to build it," Roland finished, "she knows how to tear it down."

He had to hand it to these two, it was a sound argument, but, "That still doesn't do anything for your cause. As I said, Dear Maleficent is dead, a tortured soul, trapped in a prison of Regina's construction. Even if she could be placed back into her body, she can't escape the spell binding her to that place."

"You're right," Liam smiled, taking a healthy swig of his steaming drink, "Which is why she's going to have a little help."

Roland interrupted, "The specifics aren't important, at least not for you, Mr. Gold." He stood, and when he did, Liam did as well. "You'll find what you need in the pocket of that coat." Stepping around his chair, he courteously pushed it into the table. "You have a month to find Ursula and Cruella and meet us at the town line."

By way of a good bye, he threw over his shoulder as Liam fell into step next to him, "Don't be late, Mr. Gold, we wouldn't want to have to involve your wife to hurry you along."

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><p>In Storybrooke, on the cold tiled floor of the master bathroom, Belle sat numbly staring at the stick in her shaking hand, at a complete loss for what to do.<p>

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><p>Author's Note:<br>Well there you have it, the first chapter. What do you think? Do you want to know more?


	2. Chapter 2

"I just want to talk to her. She doesn't need to know who I am. I could just ask for directions or something." Two figures, both in their late teens stood outside Mr. Gold's shuttered Pawn Shop pretending to gaze at the treasures within, when in reality, they were using the sunny day, and reflective glass, to watch Regina, Emma, and Henry whispering around the sheriffs squad car.

"It's too risky." The young man with jet black hair and soft brown eyes answered quietly. His face was a little round, but his features were built well, giving him a look of good humor; though he didn't seem to have any of that now as he continued to stare at the image on the glass.

"But just look at her!" With hair as black as midnight done now in a half twist that showed off the three feet of wavy length, the young woman's voice was pitched in despair. "I can't stand it."

Strong fingers took her hand in a sheltering grip, and he turned to regard her for a moment before risking too much and pulling her into his embrace. She folded into him perfectly; practice and true love ensuring their merge was as graceful as a swan's across a lake. Full lips brushed her temple, "I know. But it's only a few weeks. Once the others put Maleficent back into her body, we can free her from the caverns and bring down the wall."

The young woman nodded, a sense of resigned repetition in her movements, but her classically beautiful face was pinched in frustration, "It's just not fair, Neal. They shouldn't have to suffer like this. She's been trapped for who knows how long. We have no idea what we're going to find when we finally get her out. She could be worse than Belle," her perfect teeth gnashed at the hated name. "I hate this, I feel so useless."

Turning them, Neal wrapped his arm around the other and propelled her down the cheery fall sidewalk. His voice was low enough to keep their conversation from the many others on the curb, "You're not useless, you're the one that's going to get Maleficent out, and right now, we need to focus on that, just that; the rest will take care of itself with time."

The woman under his arm scoffed, but reached up to take his hand across her shoulder, the light of the brilliant sun making the large round ruby in her engagement ring glow. "Every day she's locked in there is a day too long, a minute too long! Roland and Liam better have done their parts or I'm going to make them pay."

A soft kiss hit her temple once again, "No one wants her free more than they do—"

"I don't care," she huffed indignantly as they waited to cross the street, "She's my best friend, and I'm about ready to start bringing the pain." As she seethed, her crisp voice had begun twist her words, giving them the rolling sounds of London.

Neal chuckled, reaching for the rental keys in his pocket and clicking the button to deactivate the car alarm on the black sedan, "You're showing your roots, Apple."

She glared at him as she rounded the car, but her face broke into a grin by the time they were inside. "Can we at least drive by? I know I can't go in, but just being close," she paused in pain, "maybe she'll feel us and know we're close by and working to get her out."

Neal used the mirror and glanced behind them at Regina, Emma, and Henry still talking by the squad car, "Alright, but we can't stay, just a drive by."

Across the console, warm fingers wrapped around his own, the telling callouses on her index and middle finger, comforting. "Thank you."

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><p>"That house was definitely lived in, so if we're going with the theory that whoever owns the mansion is The Author, then I think we can assume he's still in town." Emma's tired feet had finally given out on her, and she sat half propped up against the car door. She'd been a part of Operation Mongoose—very funny by the way—for weeks now, but despite spending hours every night in the mansion library, they were no closer to discerning the meaning of all the blank books inside.<p>

"We can't be certain of that," Regina's sharp voice rejected. "Storybrooke may be safer now that Gold is gone, but perhaps The Author left before Belle threw him out."

The whole town had rejoiced when word has spread like lightening that the pretty librarian had forced her husband across the town line, banishing him forever. Despite Mary Margaret's protests to think of Belle, the town had even gathered at The Rabbit Hole for a celebratory round of drinks and festivities that had landed three people in jail due to over indulgence and excessive exuberance.

Still, Belle was well liked in the town, and when she withdrew into the mansion on Baelfire Court, and rarely ventured out, the good people of Storybrooke had taken to leaving food and flowers on her doorstep until she was well enough to rejoin them.

Regina had even baked her four personal apple pies before she'd thought better of delivering them herself and summoned Henry instead. Baking was a balm to her tattered soul these days. Letting Robin go had been the right thing to do, not for her or Robin, not even for Marion, but for Roland. The little boy had filled her heart with such hope, that she might have had a second chance at being the kind of mother Henry had deserved, but when she'd balanced her needs against his, sending him with both of his parents had been the only thing she could have done.

That was little comfort when she'd taken the box of ungifted birthday presents to the hospital for donation, the nurses all happily accepting the new toys for the children's ward.

"Or maybe," Henry added, standing nearly as tall as both his mothers now, "Grandpa put him in the hat."

Emma nodded as Regina reached out a hand to rest comfortingly on Henry's arm. The young teen had such confused emotions regarding his grandfather. Twisted and festering, Henry fluctuate between fits of anger towards the man, and genuine loss that drove him to sit quietly staring out the window.

"Good point, Kid. Killian did say Gold sucked some wizard into the hat in that house. He didn't think it was The Author, just some guy named The Apprentice—whatever that means."

Henry glanced over at his blond mother as she and his dark haired mom began discussing the likelihood of The Apprentice and The Author being the same person. Henry wasn't seeing as much of Emma as he usually did. For starters, he was living full time with Regina, making sure she was alright after losing Robin, but more importantly, Emma was now spending most of her nights on the Jolly Roger.

Despite the Curse of Shattered Sight, Henry liked Killian. He represented the hope Henry had in the redemption of all Storybook villains.

Plus, when Emma wasn't around, Killian let him swear, and was even teaching him some Enchanted Forest curse words—that was icing on the cake.

"Well I guess we won't know until this Author is identified and located, and that means we're going to need to figure out how to unlock that ridiculous hat." Regina crossed her arms in aggravation. Her days were spent in her crypt, going over every incantation she could find to unlock the mysteries of the round star box.

Killian had told them that Gold had used the dagger to open it, but since Belle had the dagger and wasn't giving it to anyone, Regina had resorted to skirting the very edges of light magic to open the box, but to no avail.

Henry smiled over at her, "You'll figure it out, Mom. I know you will, and then we'll let the faeries out and they can help us figure out what it is."

With a smile, Regina hugged her son, "Unfortunately, Henry, I need to know what it is before I can open it, nothing I have is helping." She looked over at Emma, "I need to get into Gold's house, he knew how to use the box and the hat, he has to have something about it somewhere."

Hesitantly, Emma nodded, "I think you're right. No one wants to disturb Belle, but I don't think we have much of a choice. I'll ask Ruby to go over and talk to her, she's probably closer to Belle than anyone else in town."

Holding her tongue against placing their fate in Little Red Ridding Hood's slippery grasp, Regina nodded, and turned her head to watch a black sedan drive past the library and turn right.

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><p>The Storybrooke library sat closed in the middle of a Saturday. The head librarian—the only librarian—was instead, curled in the stacks reading books she'd never expected to need knowledge of. Confirmation of her condition by Dr. Whale had been met with a soft, sad look from the doctor as he'd handed her a box of tissue in his office.<p>

But over the last week, Belle had come to grips with her new reality, and she was fortifying herself with her greatest weapon, knowledge.

At her feet, tucked under a larger volume was a book she had yet to open, but hadn't been able to put back. It was a book of last resort, one she would read only if absolutely necessary.

But as tears streamed down her cheeks, as the overwhelming task before her started to take shape, she couldn't help that her eyes kept seeking out the spine of that single tome, which only made her cry harder.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey little guy, time to wake up. That's it. Ugh, come here you handsome devil," Liam smiled to the darkened room, ignoring the protests outside and focusing instead on the precious five year old half asleep in his arms. "There's a good boy."

Dead weight or not, Liam held him like he was the most precious thing in the world, which he could strongly argue, the boy was. Silently he cursed the fact he was about to scare the day lights out of him, but reasoned this way was better than the alternative.

Out in the living room, the boy's parents protested, and he winced to hear the colorful language. He debated sitting down in the blue painted room, but figured Roland had enough to deal with on his hands. Steeling himself for the battle to come, he kissed the toddler's warm forehead, grabbed the teddy bear he'd know anywhere, and left the darkness for the harsh early morning light.

Marien wept openly the moment Liam came into view holding baby Roland, but Liam felt no sympathy for the woman living on borrowed time. Still, Robin's stricken face twisted his heart; the man had always accepted him.

Roland—his Roland—was currently standing on the other side of the coffee table, his father's bow halfcocked with an arrow that could not miss its mark aimed at Marien's heart. There was no recognition in his eyes, though Liam knew he remembered his mother. His biological mother—Marien had never been his mother.

"Give me my son!" Robin made to stand, but Roland effortless shifted the bow in his direction and pulled back the string. For a moment, a war was fought on the thief's face, but eventually he sat down. It didn't escape Liam's attention that Robin didn't reach over to sooth his sobbing wife.

Walking over to Roland's side, Liam tried to reassure the man who had always been like a father to him, "Nothing's going to happen to the little guy, I guarantee it. Despite what it looks like, we're actually trying to help you."

"By pointing an arrow at his mother's heart!" Robin was incensed, but now so was his Roland, and that never boded well.

"That woman isn't his mother!" His lover's voice was dark and cold, attesting to an argument he never fully won.

"What?" Robin questioned, his face contorting in his confusion—for a thief, he had a terrible poker face.

Roland and weapons were a bad combination, and Marien's crying had finally fully awoken the now terrified child in his arms. Stepping forward, Liam held out the boy to his father, "I meant it, we're not here to hurt you or Roland. Take him," Robin immediately took the boy, quickly passing him to Marien so he could be ready to fight.

Liam turned in time to see his Roland staring at mother and son in pure rage; a look, Liam knew would not ensure the success of their part of the mission.

Taking a step, he put his hand on Roland's arm, and with difficulty, felt his partner slowly release the tension on the string, his touch earning him a furious look that dissipated, though not nearly fast enough.

But this was his time to excel. Roland could handle almost any weapon, but Liam could manipulate people—came with being a prince. His piercing blue eyes turned to the now silent family, and he turned on the charm, hating the look of tears in the child Roland's eyes. Taking a step closer, he handed over the teddy bear Regina had made for him so he would never be scared, "Here you are, Kid. No reason to be upset. I know this looks scary, but we're actually here to help you." Talking to Roland seemed to increase the alertness level of his parents, and Liam knew they were listening to every word. He wasn't surprised at all when both Rolands began to calm down; for a long time, Liam had been the only one who could sooth the angry teen.

Liam chose to focus his attention the boy, "You want to go home, don't you?" He heard Marien gasp, but understood the confused look in those soulful baby eyes, "Back to Storybrooke, you want to go home and see Little John, Will Scarlet, and Henry, right?" Hesitantly, not sure he should, Roland nodded his head, and Liam rewarded him with a megawatt smile. "Great, because my friend and I are here to take you home! You and your dad and Mairen, we're going to take you back to Storybrooke so you can see all of your friends. They miss you, you know? Granny, Pongo, and you know who else?" Now excited, Roland silently shook his head, but there was so much hope in his eyes that Liam knew who the boy was really thinking about. "I'll give you a hit," she smiled, pointing at the teddy bear, "she made him, for you."

The boy's face split in half, and he bounced on Marien's lap happily, "Regina!"

Robin paled.

"Yep! Regina misses you so much! She's sorry she missed your birthday, she got you a present and everything, but didn't know where to send it. She's going to be so happy to give it to you when we get home."

"She sent you," the wicked anger was in Marien's voice, her eyes hard in realization.

"No," his Roland said from behind him, and how Marien couldn't see her own expression in Roland's face, Liam had no idea. "She did the right thing. She wanted Roland to be happy, understood Robin's obligation to you, and sacrificed her own happiness for his," he nodded towards the child. "She has nothing to do with this, so direct your anger elsewhere, or better yet, accept with joy that you've had these few weeks with your boy when you should be dead."

How it was that his kind, compassionate, and very demonstrative lover could have such a dark side was beyond him, but Liam accepted it, even when it made negotiations difficult. "What my partner is trying to say," He directed his words to Robin who was promising pain with his eyes, "is that we're not mercenaries. We're here, specifically, to bring you three back to Storybrooke. We prefer to do it without the bow that never misses, but," he shrugged his shoulder, "if that's what it takes, then we'll be sure to aim somewhere other than Roland."

The promise eased some of the tension, but not the worry in Robin's voice, "Why do you want to help us get back to Storybrooke?"

Before Liam could answer, Roland did, "Because it's your home, it's his home. You don't belong out here, and you know it." Roland's cold eyes landed on Marien, "And neither one of you belong with her."

"OK, that's a good enough start to our adventure," Liam stood up, smiling disarmingly at the boy, who still seemed excited to go home, but was confused by his parent's lack of equal excitement.

Rounding, he moved to stand next to his Roland, and eased the bow down until it was pointing at the coffee table. He smiled up at eyes that just now, needed comfort, "What say we get everyone into the car and go meet the rest of our party?"

Roland nodded, sholdering the bow, keeping the single arrow in his hand and nodded to Robin, "You won't need anything from this place. Let's go."

"Right then, off we go," and as Liam held the door open and reminded Marien not to make a scene, his eyes softened to see his Roland ruffle the boy's hair that would one day be his own.

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><p>She was lonely. No. It was more than lonely. How long had it been? How long since she'd heard someone besides herself speak; not that she did that much anymore. When she'd begun answer herself, she'd stopped. Counting the days was also pointless, she'd stopped in year 28, the year she thought her isolation would be over. She couldn't be sure, but it felt like she'd been here even longer since she'd stopped counting.<p>

By the fire rested her spinning wheel, famous for who she was. But the sharp needle at the top gave way to the gossamer strands of fate she toiled to weave. Stretching out from the fire, and strung in a hundred thousand directions, were those iridescent strands of fate that crossed and twisted, twining together, and in some cases, broken, and fallen to the gleaming hardwood floor.

Walking forward on soft slippers that like her emerald green dress, never wore out, she allowed her hand to trace one of the strands as she made her way back towards the wheel. She touched this one often, feeling it hum with pure life. Part of the strand had once belonged to her brother, but now his strand lay broken on the floor with so many others.

She'd wept for weeks, holding that thread, feeling its loss vibrate throughout the room, making dozens of the ones next to it dull in color. But eventually, the other strands once again began to glow brighter, returning to life after such tragedy, and like them, she had lifted herself from her ornate bed, and began to spin again.

And then, a vision had taken her from her wheel to the desk where her paint jars and ink remained forever filled, and she'd drawn a page from a book that might have been, of Robin of Loxley and Regina Mills, and it wasn't until the page was blessed in full color, that she'd come out of her spell to see what she had done.

That's how she knew they were coming for her. It settled into the back of her mind with sureness. She'd cast herself into this pit of despair to save the one's she loved, and as they'd promised, they were coming now to bring her home.

So she'd taken the page, folded it into quarters, and placed it reverently into the fire that never stopped burning. The page burned into bright embers, and like them, she knew they would wink into existence where they were needed.

After that, she'd wished for perfume, and it had appeared, and she'd taken a long bath, sure they would be there soon.

But days had turned to weeks and then to months, and no one came. The doors to her prison remained shut, and the books, the endless, empty books, remained unfilled as the threads of fate continued to spin and the visions evaded her.

And once again, she began to despair, made worse now for her moment of hope.

So now, she passed her wheel, let her hand fall from the thread, and returned to her bed, piled high with thick comforters that never warmed her like her lover's bed had, and she let tears fall from her cursed blue eyes, as images of her happy life before this place tormented her.

* * *

><p>"What are you going to do," Ruby asked from her place at the kitchen table.<p>

The home was in shambles, more than just the clutter expected in Gold's house, everything was unkept, and an off odor was coming from somewhere in the kitchen.

At the stove, Belle shook her dull auburn hair, cut short to her shoulders now, and looking just as unkept as everything else. "I-I don't know."

Ruby nodded, it was like something out of a made for TV movie, evil ex-husband gone, but his evil spawn a constant reminder. She hesitated for a moment, "You could get rid of it."

It. She couldn't believe that pronoun had issued from her lips. All children were precious, but she didn't think Belle saw it that way right now.

The petite woman nodded, and then shook her head, and like it, her hands shook dangerously as she refilled her cup from the kettle. Hot tea, not iced tea. As if to burn the evil out of her. "This world has safer methods, that's true, but it's not this child's fault who his father is."

Ruby nodded, glad they were going with "child". "Well," she began cautiously, "that's not your only option you know. You could adopt the kid out. Even if he or she had magic, once outside the town line it'd be gone. And most babies get adopted and have great lives." Then she thought to qualify, "Well not Emma, or Henry. Well maybe Henry, I suppose it's all in how you lo—"

Belle's heartbroken sob ended her words, and Ruby kicked herself for being so insensitive as she rounded the table to hug her friend. "I'm sorry, Belle," she offered, holding the trembling girl close, "I shouldn't have said anything. I don't know what I'm talking about."

But no amount of comfort could stop Belle once the tears began, and it was past midnight when Ruby was forced to give up, and defeated, walk home.


	4. Chapter 4

"That's a beautiful fairytale, Darling, but I learned my lesson about those a long time ago—we never win." Cruella held tighter to the trigger of the power hose, unleashing a torrent of water to wash away the stench of waste and death.

"This time we might have a chance, Cruella," Ursula turned to Rumplestiltskin. "Show her the page, Rumple."

But Cruella just threw up her hand, uninterested. "No more contracts with the Dark One, My Sweet, I learned that lesson too," she sneered over at Rumplestiltskin, baring her perfect teeth, which seemed at odds with her wild, two toned hair. But Cruella had always been the more unhinged of the Queens of Darkness as Rumplestiltskin had once dubbed them, so he was hardly surprised to find her in this state.

Though she had obviously chosen her profession to suite her unique magical talents.

Undeterred, Rumplestiltskin extracted the double folded sheet of paper and held it out to the woman who stubbornly refused to look at it, focusing instead on hosing down the kennel.

"Oh for Poseidon's sake!" With a huff, Ursula walked up and snatched the hose from Cruella's hand. "Just look at the damn, page Cru!"

One long, blood red fingernail came up to Ursula's eyes as the once refined woman hissed, "This is a trap! One remaining object of power, that's all we have, and suddenly a powerless Dark One says he needs it to fulfill our greatest desires. Really, you can't be so far gone from the Sea Witch you once were that you'd believe him?"

Ursula sneered, "I'm every bit the Sea Witch I've always been, and you'd do well to remember that, before I have my powers back." The two faced off with looks of pure hatred, before the look broke and the two of them smiled sweetly at each other as if nothing unpleasant had passed between them. "Just look at the page, Cru, I think you'll find all the proof you need."

Turning, Cruella held out her long fingers to Rumplestiltskin, "Well, Darling, show me what you came to show me."

With a flourish and a deep bow, that felt good to his tired bones, Rumplestiltskin presented the page. "I trust you'll recognize the paper."

For a moment, Cruella examined the page, testing its texture with her fingers. When she finally looked up, there was shock and a deep respect on her face, "This is from a Book of Fate; I'd know this paper anywhere."

"Exactly, Dearie, which is why, even if my word wasn't good, which is insulting enough as it is, you can't deny that anything written on that paper will come to pass." Rumplestiltskin watched as the woman looked at the picture of the three of them standing on one side of the Storybrooke line, with Maleficent on the other, her arms outstretched, and a slight shimmer that was the barrier, falling before them. When she flipped the page, it was to see a large group of people—people like themselves, Snow White, Emma, Regina, and other faceless beings—in a library, surrounded by Books of Fate.

Cruella looked up and caught a nod from Ursula, "It's true, a Book of Fate cannot lie. And there," she pointed to the page, "in the center, the text says that's one of the legendary Fates, who can spin a person's destiny anyway she pleases."

"Exactly right," Rumplestiltskin sing-songed, the look purely manic on his haggard human appearance. He stepped forward and snatched the page from Cruella's hand, folding it neatly to tuck back into the pocket of a jacket far too large for him. "With but a thought," his hands moved wildly before him, "this girl can craft a person's destiny by will alone. No one's fate is their own when she's at her wheel," his face suddenly twisted, warring with itself between rage and grief so strong the other two sorceresses looked at each other in concern. "The text says," he suddenly continued non-pulsed, "she's imprisoned, and the ones that let her out will be rewarded with 'their heart's desire'." He smirked, flashing uneven teeth, "So you see, Dearie, you use the last of your magic, stored in that heinous coat," Cruella bared her teeth and growled at him, but Rumplestiltskin continued, "and add it to Ursula's neckless, and in a week's time, we meet Maleficent at the Storybrooke line. And once we do—"

"We'll finally get our Happy Ending," Ursula finished, clasping Cruella arm.

For one long moment, Cruella considered her options, and then with a cruel smile, she snatched the hose from Ursula before throwing it down and turned towards her companions. "Alright then, Darlings, time for the villains to win for a change."

A look of disgust crossed her features and she threw her two toned black and white hair over her shoulder and put her nose in the air, "But first, time to clean you two up." Rumplestiltskin and Ursula regarded each other, but didn't object, and then Cruella's wicked smile was back in place. "Come, Darlings, we'll take, my, car."

* * *

><p>"How are we going to know if it worked?"<p>

The library lobby was empty and dark at 3am, except for the beams of light coming from their flashlights. Breaking in had been easy for the daughter of an outlaw, and now she and Neal were waiting for the elevator to take them into the depths of the tunnels below.

"Easy, they'll be a giant roar and an even bigger dragon."

Neal's head swiveled towards her, "What? You never said anything about a dragon. I thought she was a wraith?"

With a huff, Apple regarded her fiancé, "She is, but her body was locked in her dragon form by my mother, therefore, when Rumplestiltskin gives her back her body, it stands to reason it'll be a dragon."

Turning to face her fully, Neal threw his hands out, "And how exactly are we supposed to deal with a dragon?"

A twinkle in her eyes, Apple batted her eyelashes, "Well, you are the handsome prince, so obviously you're going to defend me while I cast the counterspell and put Aunty Mel back in her human form."

The elevator door ticked open with the sound of a thousand gears shifting, but Neal held her back, "And if I was supposed to slay the dragon, no problem, but something tells me, I'm not allowed to hurt her so—"

Irritation darkened the eighteen year old's expression, "Well of course you're not allowed to hurt her! You're just going to run around, preferably far away from me, so I can cast the spell and get Mel back. No hacking or slashing required, just run away," she smiled evil, a look that told anyone exactly who her mother was, "Pretend your Jefferson, and run like a little bitch."

With a deep sigh, Neal ushered her into the elevator and manned the controls, "You could have at least warned me so I could have brought my sword."

"I already told you, you're not skewing my Aunty Mel! You and my brother are the best swordsmen in the kingdom, so there's no way I'm putting you up against a dragon with a sword, you'd pierce her heart in five seconds and then we'd really be in trouble."

Recognizing their tiff had become a game, Neal chuckled, "Well, if the best swordsman in the kingdom can't figure out how to fight a dragon without stabbing it through the heart, our kingdom is in a sad defensive state."

"Or," Apple stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him with all of her infinite love for him on her beautiful face, "I just know that you'd never risk anything happening to me. You are just a tad overprotective."

Leaning down, Neal brushed his lips against hers, and then deepened the kiss as the elevator took them into the depths of their town.

* * *

><p>When she saw Henry for the first time, she thought she'd finally gone mad. Silently, she watched him look around her prison as dawning understanding bloomed across his face. Book after book was removed from its shelf and opened, revealing their empty pages that made her ache and yearn for her visions.<p>

When he gave a whoop and ran out of the room, never once seeing her, she'd felt that spark of hope once again, and had wished for a bath.

But in the water, she realized with a shaft of piercing horror, that Henry hadn't looked a day older than 14. So she'd gotten out of the water, naked but never cold, and crossed the webbed room to stand before his fate.

Had it been a few days, a few weeks or months since she'd last touched it? Maybe it had been years now.

With trembling fingers, she gave his thread the barest touch, and cried out in horror as it snapped between her fingers, and drifted slowly until it rested on the gleaming floor.

Hands covered her mouth to hold in her shock and horrified sobs, but a flicker of movement against the firelight caught her attention, and she turned to see another strand snap. And then to her left another one, and then another and another, and as she watched in silent horror, too terrified now to cry out, the threads of fate continued to fall to the floor, until only one strand remained, and then she did cry, screamed and raged, and tore books from shelves, and her precious paints across the room to melt into the fallen strands.

* * *

><p>"How have you been feeling, Belle?"<p>

The broken woman shrugged.

Dr. Hopper nodded, sipping lukewarm tea in Belle's mess of a kitchen. Dirt and dust had settled everywhere, but Belle had long since given up the task of keeping it clean. He knew Ruby had been over a few weeks ago to tidy up, but Belle was unwilling to continue her efforts.

She'd lost weight, her clothes, once fashionable, if not a bit odd for their small town, now hung off her frame except around her belly where the briefest outline of her condition was present. She worried it now, but not as any good mother might, her hands were claws against the protrusion, though her face remained as desolate as ever.

Leaning forward, he caught her eye. "Belle, I know you've struggled with your decision, but Dr. Whale is willing to do the procedure only if you complete it by the end of the week. Your first trimester is almost over, and it won't be safe for you after that." She nodded, silent tears weeping from her eyes.

He remained silent for a moment, watching her closely before he leaned forward again, his voice gentle. "There's no shame in changing your mind." He was surprised when she looked up at him, some emotion he couldn't name flashing behind her eyes. "There isn't," he continued, "You know the hospital has the means to facilitate a closed adoption. It will be difficult for you, but you could give your baby her best chance outside Storybrooke. No magic, no one to know his parentage, he'll be given a great life—"

"Like Emma?" Her voice was as dull as her eyes had become, no longer a radiant blue, but a muted gray.

He shook his head, "No Belle, Emma was an unusual case. Most babies are placed in happy homes with new parents who love them like their own." He reached out a hand to cover hers, a little surprised when it was cold but steady, "If that's what you want, I can work with the hospital to have everything in place when the time comes. But Belle," he waited for her to meet his eyes, "if that's your decision, then you need to start taking better care of yourself. You need to eat, and sleep," he pointed at the empty bottles of liquor by the trash, "and this, you have to give your child her best chance."

Belle looked over at the empty bottles, and then for the first time seemed to see the disaster that had overcome Mr. Gold's impeccable house. But just as quickly, despair took its place, and she gave a half wave of her hand as if it didn't matter. "I'll go to the hospital by the end of the week." Then she stood, and without a backwards glance retired up the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

I hope everyone had a nice holiday break. I sure did, though I got really sick towards the end, hence why this is delayed. But never fear, more chapters are coming soon. If you like it, please consider Following or Reviewing so more people can discover this story. Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

><p>"So, in short, you're Regina's daughter, he's Snow White's son, and I'm supposed to believe your mother agreed to your marriage?" Maleficent didn't exactly look like herself. Dressed in a pair of Neal's sweats and a Boston University sweatshirt, the only parts of her former self that were visible were her biting tone.<p>

But Apple nodded enthusiastically anyway, "Yes, well she wasn't exactly happy about it when we started dating, but she came around eventually. I mean, I won't say mom and Snow are best friends or anything, but they don't hate each other. Obviously, my mom realized that Cora was a manipulative bitch, and that if she couldn't stand up to her mother than neither could a ten year old, but on the other hand, Snow did kill Cora, so let's just say they have their moments."

Neal was cooking in their small kitchen, trying not to laugh as she settled into the third day of explaining everything Maleficent had missed over the last 35 years. So far, Apple had explained Regina's conversion to the side of good, her brother Roland and father Robin Hood, and the fact that Maleficent and Regina were not only best friends, but that Mel had been her Maid of Honor. So far, Maleficent had approached everything with skepticism and out right blasphemy.

"Ridiculous!" This was no exception. "I've know your mother for longer than you've been alive, and not only would she have gutted Snow White at the first opportunity, but she would never have adopted a child," she eyed Apple with distain, "or had one herself for that matter. She has no heart," she sat back against the couch smugly, "that's one of the reasons I liked her so much."

And again, Apple shook her head with infinite patience. "OK, I'm probably telling it wrong, let's try again."

* * *

><p>Emma kicked her feet up on a plush ottoman by the fire, "Sorry Kid, whatever you're trying to find, it's not here. Every book we've opened has been blank, we're not going to find any clues rummaging around in here."<p>

Carrying over another heavy stack of books, Henry set them down on the end table close to Emma's chair and took his own seat, grabbing the first book, and flipping through the blank pages. "Something's here, I can feel it. I don't know what yet, but I will when I find it. Operation Mongoose is dead in the water without a clue, and since Robin found the last one stuffed in a book, that's where we need to keep looking."

"Well, that or we could just go get some of that delicious pizza," Killian swaggered into the room. He'd been checking out the rest of the house, but had obviously given up. "What do you say, Henry, fancy a slice?"

With a sigh, Henry closed the book, "Sure. Mom, can I borrow your phone so I can tell my mom I won't be home for dinner?"

Henry grabbed the offered phone and ran out into the hallway, knowing that there was no reception in the magical library filled with empty books. Killian smiled as he ran past, before approaching Emma, and after making sure Henry was in the hallway, leaning down for a chase kiss.

Smiling herself, Emma added, "Is that your way of asking permission to pick the toppings, because pineapple is not a pizza topping, it's a component of fruit cocktail."

Killian shrugged and fell into Henry's abandoned chair. "Actually, it's just my way of saying hello." Leaning forward suddenly, he leered at her, "I'm smart enough to know I'll have to offer more than a little kiss to get what I want on the pizza."

Playing along, Emma replied, "Oh yeah? What are you offering, I might be persuaded."

"Oh what am I offering, eh!" He stood, extending his hand to Emma before lifting her out of the chair and giving her a proper kiss. "That's just the preview, Swan," he smirked as Emma slowly came back to herself from the toe curling kiss, "I promise to make it worth your while."

Leaning forward Emma claimed his mouth, and between kisses said, "OK, half, you can have them on half, but it better be worth it."

"Oh it will be," he growled playfully.

"So, mom says," Henry began as he came back into the room, and while Killian allowed Emma to escape his embrace, he refused to release her hand. "That I need to be home by 9, and to bring her back a salad, and I texted grandpa and he and grandma and Neal are going to meet us there."

Emma laughed, patting Hook's chest affectionately, "Sorry, Big Guy, you remember what happened the last time, Mary Margaret saw pineapple on the pizza."

Henry laughed, picking up his coat and backpack, "She said you couldn't date my mom if you continued eating fruit on pizza."

"Well," Killian smiled, placing a hand on the back of Henry's shoulder as he guided him from the room, "I will just have to convince your grandmother of the finer merits of apples from pine trees."

Emma and Henry were still laughing as they climbed into the car.

* * *

><p>Belle picked up the book, the one from the library she'd buried under the rest. It was crisp and new in her hands—she'd been the first person to check it out. Not surprising.<p>

"Adoption" was sprawled across the top in block letters, a smiling happy family with two racially different children, gazing at the reader.

With her heart beating wildly in her chest, she cracked the book.

Suddenly, a loud crash filled the quiet house and Belle gave a shocked cry. The sound of falling glass tinkled down the hallway, but it was the loud whooping outside and the gunning engine of a car that caught her full attention.

Carefully, she rose from the table and walked to the edge of the kitchen, as the sound of teenagers drove into the night. On shaking legs, she walked down the dark hallway. The sound was wrong in what should have been a still house, and she looked above the staircase to see the magnificent stain glass window shattered, the colorful pieces rising like jagged teeth from the hardwood floor. They sparkled like tears in the little light that came in from the dark moon, but it was enough to see the large rock, and the piece of paper rubber banded to it. She wasn't surprised when her fingers shook, or but she hated that her mind immediately wished her husband was there to comfort her.

Refusing to give him another thought, she unwound the page from the projectile and tipped it so she could read the hastily scrawled script.

"The only good Gold is a dead Gold! Die whore!"

Her hand went protectively to her belly.

Then her fingers turned to claws as she crumpled the note in her hand and returned to the kitchen.

Not bothering with a glass, she just unscrewed the cap on the Crown Royal and tipped it back like it was ale.

After a third of it was gone, she dropped the book onto the floor and kicked it under the table.

It took her two tries before she connected.


	6. Chapter 6

**Three days later.**

"Well," Apple interrupted, her long black hair sitting in a high pony tail that cascaded down her straight back, "I mean, she's still your best friend, you and mom just went through a rough patch 35 years ago, but she's really sorry she locked you up. Really!"

Pulling to her full height as she sat at the kitchen table of the small cabin they'd taken her to, Maleficent sneered, "We've gone over this Little Girl, but perhaps you've forgotten, I died down there thanks to your mother's curse!"

Blushing redder than her name, Apple had to concede her point, "Yeah, but she's really broken up about that, honest."

"I think," Neal tried from his place at the kitchen counter assembling their dinner, "what Apple is trying to say, is that in the future, you and Regina get past it and rekindle your friendship."

"Exactly!" The dark haired teen smiled, "I mean, you're my Auntie Mel, and you did bless me with fairy magic to be the fairest of them all—which apparently really caused a ruckus when Neal's mom found out." She smiled over at her fiancé, who wisely remained silent.

A sudden snap of Maleficent's fingers caught their attention, but the beautiful blond wasn't smiling. "Spare me. I want to know more about my part in this plan to free your friend."

"Apple," Neal interjected, rounding the rough counter, "switch places with me. You just need to chop the carrots."

"But why?" She nearly whined, standing reluctantly with her hand on her hip.

Taking her shoulders, Neal gave her a gentle push towards the kitchen, "Because you'll go off on a tangent if you try to explain again."

"She's my best friend, Neal!" The young woman shot back, but she begrudgingly accepted the task of chopping vegetables for the stir fry they were making.

"I know," Neal offered, taking her place at the kitchen table, "But something tells me, Mel is looking for the short version."

"Very astute," Maleficent leaned back in her chair, "for a prince."

Neal couldn't help but chuckle, "If I only got a dollar every time someone…never mind. So here's the short version," he rested his elbow on the table as he relaxed into the telling, but his expression was tight and filled with sadness. "Tomorrow night, you're going to bring down the barrier surrounding the town. That will allow Rumplestiltskin, Cruella, and Ursula, along with some of our friends to cross into Storybrooke. Once the other three have their magic, we'll explain the situation to Regina and my sister, and then release Anna."

Maleficent nodded slowly, thinking carefully, "Anna, your friend, who is also a legendary Fate, capable of crafting a person's fate by will alone." Neal nodded, and he saw a teary expression cross Apple's face as she paused in her chopping as her memories drifted back to their lost friend.

"Anna imprisoned herself in, well in something like a bubble in time. It allowed you, and the other magic users in our time, to pinpoint where and when to send us so we could fix the timeline my sister and Killian broke."

"Your sister," Maleficent pointed one long finger at him, "the Savior, Emma, daughter of Snow White and her boy toy."

Behind her, Apple scoffed, "Nice one."

Neal glared at her, but she shrugged, her feelings for his family never having fully warmed, "Basically, yes."

"So," she smiled wickedly, "the Savior actually destroyed time. Now that's devilishly ironic. I actually like that ending to this twisted tale. Sounds like a perfectly evil ending to me, so, tell me, why should I help you?"

"Because," Neal reasoned, "Anna can spin a person's fate, and if you help her escape, she can give you the one thing you've always wanted."

With a roll of her eyes heavenward, Maleficent asked the obvious question, "And what might that be?"

Apple's voice was soft, but Maleficent turned fully in her seat upon hearing her words, "A happy ending, Auntie Mel, Anna can spin you your happy ending."

Her chin lifted with attention, and suddenly, she snapped her fingers and the vegetables were no longer in the kitchen, but stirred and fried, and in a heaping bowl before all three of them, now sitting at the table, watching the steam rise from the delicious smelling dish. Wasting little time, Maleficent took the serving spoon and portioned out their meal to first Apple, then Neal, and finally herself. Taking her fork into her hand, she smiled at Regina's daughter, "Looks like I'm saving the princess this time."

Apple too picked up her fork, "Technically, she's not a princess, yet." When she looked up, both her aunt and her fiancé were openly staring at her. "What? She isn't."

Neal sighed and shook his head, a soft smile on his lips.

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet, Liam?" Little Roland was sitting in the back seat between Liam and Marion, and Liam gave his shaggy hair a good ruffling.<p>

"Not yet, but we'll be there tomorrow night. Are you excited to go home?"

"Yeah," the toddler yelled too loud in the small car, and Roland watched his father drive the rental across yet another state line. They'd spent the last five days in the car, traveling for as long as his younger self could manage before settling into a hotel room for the night. He was exhausted, but anticipation hummed through him as he knew it did Liam as well. They were almost home.

"Think you can manage a few more hours in the car today," Liam asked, and from his place in the passenger seat, Roland watched the boy lose some of his enthusiasm before nodding his head reluctantly. Proud of him, Liam leaned over and kissed his curly hair before pulling a game cartridge out of his breast pocket. "Who's up for a little more Pokémon Silver?" Instantly, Roland perked up, and quickly loaded the offered game into the player Liam had wisely thought to get before they'd started this grueling trip.

Smiling charmingly at a frowning Marion, Liam looked towards the front of the car and offered a real smile, beautiful for all its exhaustion, to him. They hadn't slept properly in days, running on coffee and adrenaline. Roland returned the look to his longtime partner, sharing in the excitement of being so close to Storybrooke.

So close to, Anna.

"Once we get to the town line, how exactly do you plan to cross it? You can't even see it." It was the same question his father had been asking since they got on the road, and just as before, Roland ignored the question. Incensed, Robin pressed, "I'm not going to just—"

"Yes, you are." Losing patience with his father had been something Roland had been practicing his entire life. When he was younger, it had been confused feelings of frustration that had spurned his violent outbursts. Rages that only quieted when he was practicing his sword skills, defending Anna, or babysitting Liam. As he'd gotten older, his propensity towards violence had only increased, and it wasn't until Liam's tear stained and bruised face had been pressed into his shoulder, that he'd realized where all his anger had come from.

Focusing it on his father was habit; Robin was strong, he could take it.

The car was silent then, except for the sounds coming from the game being played in the back seat.

* * *

><p>A dozen people had been through her prison over the last few weeks, but just now, only Bae's mother and sister were sprawled across the adjoining couches, a stack of empty books at their feet. They'd decided to leaf through all of the empty books on the off chance one of them contained something of value, Anna could have saved them the trouble if they'd been able to hear her.<p>

The loss of a lifetime of weaving had hit her harder than expected, and depression had caused her to retreat to her bed once again to sleep away the time. But Henry returned every day, and Anna found that even though he couldn't see her, she felt joy at just knowing he was there and would rouse herself to sit close to him, imagining she could see Bae's features as he concentrated.

Good days were when Regina entered the library. Her best friend's mother had always been kind to her, treated her like another daughter, and it warmed her nearly as much as seeing Apple would have. Those days, Anna would kneel next to Regina's chair, her head pressed against Regina's thigh, and though neither one of them could feel it, the familiarity of it helped ease the ache in her heart.

Bad days were when Killian arrived to pretend to search the stacks for information, but in reality only eyed Bae's sister like a piece of meat. What Emma saw in him, Anna would never understand. Too often for her taste, Henry would wander outside the library, and Killian would swoop in to devour Emma's eager mouth with kisses, and Anna would once again retreat to her bed and hum to herself to drown out their heated noises.

"Did Regina mention if she found anything useful at Gold's house?" Snow White queried her daughter from the lounger. Anna's ears perked up, and she wandered over to the little reading nook and took a seat in one of the empty chairs.

Emma's blond head nodded, "Yeah, though nothing about the hat. She said she found Belle on the floor in the kitchen, passed out. Apparently she's been hitting the bottle hard since she forced Gold out."

Confusion passed over Anna's features. Belle wasn't a heavy drinker? Then she remembered the single remaining strand of gossamer thread that still ran from her wheel to one of the empty books, high on a self that Bae's sister had yet to discover. Memories of two different times warred in her mind, and then she sighed, because in the world Emma had built, Belle had been an alcoholic, and Anna had paid the price. It left her with the strangest sensation, of love for the woman named Belle; and of hate. The hate was shocking, but understandable given the world Marion's presence had made.

"That's terrible," the fair queen replied, shaking her head sadly. "I know Belle's been having a tough time, but for her to be in such a state, I just feel awful for her."

Anna pushed her suddenly dark thoughts away, now wasn't really the time to try to reconcile her two histories.

"Yeah it is. Say what you want about Gold, but Belle's a sweetheart. She deserved better."

Anna scoffed, and rose from the chair. Belle's name always caused her pulse to race, and she was feeling the familiar cold chill of a panic attack.

What? No it didn't? Anna slammed her eyes shut, trying to block out the disappointment, fear, and rage she felt towards her mother.

"I know," Snow continued. "What did Regina do?"

Emma shrugged as Anna wandered back unsteadily towards her wheel. The knee high piles of gossamer strands had long since been burned in the Everfire, the fate of those she knew and did not, consumed by the heat. "She said Belle was incoherent, so she put her to bed and sent Dr. Hopper to check on her."

"I'll go see her tomorrow, maybe I can get her to go to lunch at Granny's with Ruby and I."

With a flick of Anna's wrist, her wheel began to spin. She did not use magic on it, she no longer wanted to spin the fates of men. But there was comfort in the spinning wheel; the sound the wood made reminding her of better times, when her father would spin gold thread for her hair, and her mother would…

Suddenly, an image flashed across her mind's eye, and excitement replaced her melancholy as she moved to her paints for the first time in months. Behind her, mother and daughter continued to talk, but Anna no longer heard them. Instead, with a steady hand, she set quill to thick paper and let her talent overwhelm her.

Hours later, the library was blessedly empty, and Anna blinked back the darkness to look down at her work.

On the page, as clear as a photograph, was a picture of a woman with mocha skin and dark hair, standing before a swirling portal of yellow, with a terrified expression on her face. A long broadsword was pointed at her chest as her hands were outstretched to ward off an attack. But what was oddest of all, was the delicate pale hand grasping the broadsword's blade. The razor edges had sliced into the palm of the hand, and a few drops of blood were dripping from the frame; and on the finger of that fair left hand, was a ruby ring.

* * *

><p>"Do you have any idea what kind of damage you've done to your child?! Those PSA's about drinking while you're pregnant aren't just to fill air time!" Regina was pacing directly outside the master bathroom, listening unsympathetically while Belle Gold retched into the toilet. "Do you have any idea what kind of birth defects you could cause? Poor growth, damaged sight or hearing, learning disabilities, alcohol dependency! I know you're hurting, but this is just self-destructive stupidity!"<p>

From inside the open room, the toilet flushed, and a few seconds later, a disheveled and foul smelling brunette emerged to glare deathly at the Evil Queen. "I don't need a lecture from you."

"Obviously you do!" Regina interrupted, and was surprised that as she stalked towards Belle, the smaller woman retreated. Still, she was too angry to back down, "I don't care how messed up Rumple made you, he's twisted all of us around his little finger; some more than others. But somehow the rest of us restrained ourselves from poisoning our unborn child! He's gone, you kicked him out, but it's not this child's fault that you're bad at picking husbands!"

A little life came into Belle's eyes at the mention of her husband, and she took back the ground she'd lost, "I don't need a lecture on men from a woman who had to force them to sleep with her before trading up for a married one!"

If Regina felt any pain at the jab, she didn't show it, "No, you need a lecture on common sense. What in the hell were you thinking?!"

And then, as if a switch had been flipped, all of the fight fled from the smaller woman, and before Regina's eyes, she seemed to shrink. Her head fell with her shoulders, and her body began to visibly shake. "It doesn't matter," her voice came out weakly, "I'm getting rid of it."

"You're what?" Shock paled Regina's face, "You can't be serious."

"Of course I'm serious," Belle tried to bite back, but it felt flat and lifeless as she moved to crawl onto the torn up bed.

Sense came back to Regina all at once, and she spun on Belle, "As much as I hate to admit it, Rumple isn't about to spend his life powerless. It's only a matter of time before he finds a way back to Storybrooke, and when he does, if he finds out, you, that you—"

"That I killed his baby," Belle ended weakly, curling into a ball on the dirty sheets.

"He'll kill you, Belle. No mercy, no warm fuzzy feelings of wedded bliss, he'll strike you down where you stand and take the rest of the town with you for letting you go through with it."

Belle's cold, defeated, response was muffled against the pillow, "Good."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Lots of players in this story, new things revealed. Did you guess right on who everyone was? I'm curious, which set of characters has you most intrigued? Thanks to everyone who favorite, followed or reviewed this story. I love trying to work reader suggestions into the story, so if there's something you want to see these characters do, feel, or say, please let me know!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

He was starting to feel his three hundred years. It was presently in his aching tailbone as Cruella drove like a bat out of hell down the thickly forested highway towards Storybrooke. Her fashionable car boasted all the modern conveniences—or at least it had when it was new nearly 70 years before. Now the springs in the seats were showing their age, and he was begrudgingly paying for every pothole left unfilled by the Maine Department of Transportation.

Still, his chest tightened with anticipation. Magic was only a few miles away, and he imagined he could smell it past the Chanel perfume and sea salt permeating the car. How he longed for it to dance across his fingertips once again, to feel it fill his brain with that hum of power.

And he needed power right now, strength most of all.

His forceful removal from everyone he'd ever known had given him plenty of time to analyze how he had arrived at the moment Belle used his dagger to force him over the town line. At first there had been despair, and a fear so profound that he had literally fallen to his knees and wept for hours after she'd disappeared from his sight. But that had eventually turned into anger, anger that he had trusted her, and his true love had used his greatest weakness against him.

Cold nights had been kept warm on his seething anger alone, but seeing Roland, no longer a boy, but a man, had turned his thoughts towards a different direction. The boy held secrets, and so did he, secrets he'd kept from his wife, the woman he truly had expected to keep fully in the light of his machinations. And it was those thoughts that made him realize the cold truth: he'd broken her trust first. How many times had he treated her more like an object than a confidant? If he'd only shared his plan with her—glossed over perhaps, but still shared—she would have never felt so betrayed, and he would have spent nights warmed by her small frame pressed against his rather than his useless anger.

He had no idea what she would think of him now—three months had passed since he'd seen her—he hadn't even had a picture of her in his wallet; what sort of man didn't carry a picture of wife? A worthless one—one driven by fear and cowardness rather than honor and love. He'd broken their life together, just as he had before, and just as before, he would fix it.

It would be difficult, nearly impossible for a man who demanded control, but in the end it would be worth it.

Belle was worth everything.

"Well there it is Darling, and the welcoming committee's already arrived to greet us." Though Cruella's words should have come with an application of the breaks, instead she continued forward at an equally murderous pace as they approached the Storybrooke line, and the small collection of people in the road before it.

Ursula pushed herself between the two front seats, "That's them, Rumple? The ones who gave you the page?" He nodded, even some distance away, he recognized the man Roland, and his amorous, blond partner Liam; though he was mildly surprised to see the Outlaw and his toddler son as well.

A sudden ounce of hesitation suddenly filled Ursual's voice, "Uh, Cru, you can slow down now."

"Don't back seat drive, Dear, it'll give me wrinkles and then I'll have to have sushi for dinner."

They were only fifty feet away, traveling at 70 miles per hour, when Cruella finally decided the time had come, and slammed her high healed pump to the break. The car protested, swerving dangerously. Perhaps a little good will was still on their side, because the car came to a sideways stop only a hand full of feet before what was the line, and Gold scoffed as Ursula fell back into her seat with deep, ragged breaths.

"There now," Cruella declared, "another prefect parking job. I say, I impress myself every day."

He didn't wait to hear Ursula's heated reply, and instead popped the door and stepped out towards his destiny.

"That was so awesome!" Little Roland cried as he jumped in place, his arms pumping wildly around. "Do it again!" Marion tried in vain to calm the boy while Robin looked at the car with growing concern as Mr. Gold stepped out.

* * *

><p>He looked marginally better than he had the last time Liam had seen him. The clothes he was wearing were off the rack, but at least they fit, and he looked like he'd had a few good nights of sleep since they'd last crossed paths. Ah, sleep, something he was definitely looking forward to. How he was going to reunite with Anna properly while he felt like the walking dead, was of mild concern to him, but he figured seeing her would give him a second wind.<p>

Or a third or a fourth.

Three months had been too long. Too long away from her, from his uncle, his friend, and his home. They were an unlikely group, but they were fiercely close, and even a few months had taught him what he'd already known—that he would lay down his life for any of them.

Still, seeing Gold walking towards them with that air of absolute confidence gave him a twisted feeling as it always did. His father had taught him to never trust the man, and he hadn't, not until he'd had nowhere to go at fifteen, and he'd been welcomed with open arms into Dark Castle. It was still a hard reconciliation for him between the man who he'd been taught to hate, and the one who had accepted him not as a disgraced prince, but as Roland's lover.

"Sorry, Mate, no scones today I'm afraid. How about a return to power instead?" He smiled jovially from his place beside Roland as Gold approached them.

"An offer, I wouldn't refuse," the smaller man said. He barely came up to Liam's chin, and Anna was even smaller. Gold nodded towards Roland, "I see you've acquired a supporting cast." Liam could have commented on how Gold's eyes softened when he looked at little Roland, but he chose to hold his tongue.

"They're necessary," was all Roland replied, though in the next breath, he showed a bit of his easy familiarity with the man before them, "Looks like you didn't have any trouble with your end of the bargain."

Gold didn't bother to turn towards his two female companions who were now exiting the vehicle, "I never do, Dearie."

"Right then," Liam said with a grin as he pulled out the semiautomatic and aimed it at Marion's head. Her eyes grew wide and terrified as Robin stepped in front of her, though Liam didn't lower the gun, "Let's get started then, shall we?"

Roland—his strong, Roland—ignored the belligerent commands of his father, and the shocked expressions of their newest arrivals, and instead walked until he was only a few feet from the town line. His voice was loud and filled with love, "Your turn, Apple."

* * *

><p>"Where the hell did Liam get a gun?" Neal asked in shock as they watched the seen play out before them.<p>

"Ugh, who cares," his fiancé cried, nearly bouncing on her feet with happiness at seeing her brother. She turned bright eyes to Maleficent, who'd insisted on wearing her medieval purple dress, complete with black horns. She looked out of place, and decidedly evil, though she did have a rather fond expression on her face as she looked upon her allies across the line.

"OK Auntie Mel, time to bring the house down," Apple smiled, and now she did bounce on her toes, and Neal was reminded that she was only 18.

"You had better keep your end of the bargain, Little Girl," but Maleficent raised her long arms over her head and pointed her hands towards the barrier and began to concentrate, the ball at the end of her staff glowing.

He gathered Apple against him the moment she ran back into his arms, feeling her nearly vibrate with happiness. It was a sentiment he easily felt as well, because though Liam had a lot of explaining to do, he'd missed his nephew and best friend, dearly.

* * *

><p>"We've got major trouble!" Henry was still climbing to his feet from the floor of Granny's after the massive earthquake, when Emma's walkie-talkie crackled to life and filled the stunned dinner with his Grandfather's panicked voice.<p>

His mom wasted no time grabbing the black box as she helped his other mom stand on her red high heels. "What kind of trouble?"

"The Barrier kind."

His Grandma's eyes widened, "Did he say the Barrier? But that can only mean—"

"Gold," Regina said, but she turned so suddenly pale that Emma kept a hold of her arm in concern.

Depressing the talk button, Emma relayed instructions, "OK, Regina and I will meet you at the town line."

"Copy that. And you should hurry, Emma, this looks pretty bad."

"I'll get the car," Killian offered, but Regina's hand shot out to stop him.

"No! You need to get Henry to the mansion library." Then she threw her eyes at the wall clock and cursed more violently than Henry had ever heard, a bad word no matter what realm they were in. "But first, you need to get to the hospital and get Belle. Do whatever you have to do and get her and Henry to the library and lock the doors. Gold can't find out about Belle, but if he does, I want Henry in the one place he never found."

"What do you mean," his grandmother asked. "What about Belle?"

"Never mind now," she snapped, taking charge of the situation. "All that matters is that we get Belle and Henry out of sight immediately." Then she thought an idea through, "Go with them," she commanded towards Mary Margaret. "I need to go with Emma, but Belle might listen to you before she follows Hook. I don't care if she lays down on the floor and refuses to move, you get her into that library!"

"Regina?" Emma asked before Henry could protest, but his mother was prepared to accept no arguments or questions.

"We don't have time for this! If Gold manages to get past the barrier, if we're too late to stop her, then the Dark One will tear this town apart!" She rushed out of the dinner, throwing over her shoulder, "Let's go, Emma!"

* * *

><p>Her feet were in the stirrups and her hand in Dr. Hopper's when Whale had walked into the room, and she'd burst into violent sobs. Both doctors had tried to reassure her that it was a painless procedure, five minutes, ten at the most, but the enormity of what she was about to allow to be done to her unborn child was overwhelming and her sobs would not quiet.<p>

Eventually, Dr. Whale had rounded the table and lain a comforting hand on her crown, "You don't have to do this, Belle. I'm going to give you and Dr. Hopper a few more minutes."

She'd refused to talk to the psychiatrist, but she'd also refused to pull her feet from the stirrups. She'd already done so much damage, ruined so much, how could she ever come back from this?

Regina's haunting words had barked around in her mind for days, and she cried harder when she remembered going to the bar in her living room only to realize it was empty and the recycle bin was overflowing. She'd already come so far…

The violent shaking overtook the hospital instantly, shaking Dr. Hopper to his knees as loud electronic wails filled the sterile hallways of Storybrooke General Hospital. When it was over, she was surprised to see that only one of her feet remained in the stirrup, and a girl who'd never believed in a fate, suddenly wondered if this was a sign.

* * *

><p>"ROLAND!" Apple gave a riotous cry, as she threw herself from Neal's embrace and raced to the opened and welcoming arms of her brother.<p>

He caught her easily, swinging her up and into the air in a way she remembered fondly from her childhood. When he set her down, his arms wound around her and he held her close, shamelessly kissing her temple.

Never one to shy from public displays of affection, Roland had always been demonstrative, and she welcomed his embrace and chaste, brotherly kisses with ones of her own.

"Well now, don't need this thing anymore." She looked up in time to see Liam thrown the gun—the fake gun—over his shoulder and cross the line. He paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath, and allowed the smile to take over his face before he walked up to Neal and exchanged a more traditional greeting.

Neal, pulled him into a hug, "I wondered where you'd managed to find a gun."

Liam pounded his back before pulling away, "What, that thing? Toys'R'Us! It's ridiculous how realistic they make those things now! Damn near scared myself with it a few times."

Apple couldn't help the dig, "Us too, you're a freaking terrible shot."

"You!" Liam was away from Neal and pulling her into a tight hug before she'd been able to fully release Roland, and she stumbled into his warmth with comforting familiarity. They'd always been unlikely best friends. She, Liam and Anna. It'd scared the hell out of the non-magic users at first, but time had proven they had nothing to fear from a saucy princess, a dandy boy, and a soft Fate. "Come here and let me smother you good. Gods how I've missed you, Dannie Apple."

"How many times," she struggled to get out through his crushing grip, "do I have to tell you not to call me that!"

Above her, he just laughed and hugged her tighter.

It was why it took her a minute longer than it should have to realize the sound of tires crunching gravel. She looked up in time to see through the windshield of the police cruiser, the shocked expression on her mother's face as she stared at Maleficent.

Surprisingly, it was Neal who stated the obvious, "Here we go."

Right on cue, Liam's mom came out guns blazing, "Hold it right there!"

"Ugh, she even sounds cheesy," Liam said under his breath, and normally she would have laughed, but crackling magic was coming from over her shoulder, and she looked up to see her mother stepping out of the car, and turned, to see Maleficent raising her glowing staff.

"Nice to see you, Regina," Aunt Mel began, as darkness colored her eyes violently, "You're looking well."

"Maleficent." Shock had her mother standing behind the sedan door rather than fear, but the tension was broken when a little voice broke through the forest like a whip crack.

"Regina!" Little legs ate the asphalt faster than expected as her little, baby, brother ran to Regina's side.

"Roland!" Apple watched her mother race around the car door and fall to her knees, hugging the toddler close to her chest as confusion and concern warred for their dominate position on her face. When she looked up and saw Robin and Marion, pain won out.

With a sigh and a glance back at the other members of the Circle Points, she stepped away from a hesitant Liam and moved to stand half way between Regina and Mel.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "I'm well aware that there are some hard feelings all the way around right now, not to mention some super happy reunions, but there will be no killing as my little brother is present and we are going to give him nothing more than a PG moment while he reunites with our mom. Everybody clear?"

In hindsight she maybe could have handled that differently, but hey, you couldn't argue with results.

"'Our mom'," her mother's shaky voice said at the same time her father took a good hard look at her and seemed more confused than ever. Ugh, men were so dense.

"Sorry, Little Girl," Maleficent replied coldly, raising her staff once again, "I've changed my mind."

Cursing silently at how stupid her family was at this age, Apple held out her hand, "Don't do it, Auntie Mel! I'm serious, Roland already has anger management issues, so we are not going to show him anymore violence at his impressionable age. So put your staff down, and let's talk about this like family."

"Maleficent—" Regina tried, even as she struggled to shift a clingy Roland around her body and out of the line of fire.

"Too late 'friend'," she spat, "I'm not interested in excu—"

"I said!" Apple raised her arms out before her, and as she drew back her right hand towards her ear an orange bow made entirely of crackling magic appeared, complete with a glowing arrow aimed at her Aunt. "We are dealing with this situation like reasonable adults! Now put it down, because this is a copy of the bow that never misses, and as much as it would really kill me, and I mean I'd seriously want to die afterwards, I will shoot you if you don't behave!"

Rage flitted across sharp features before a look of begrudging respect replaced it, and Apple released her magic only seconds after Maleficent had fully relaxed her staff. "How could I resist such a compelling ultimatum?"

Ignoring the dawning look of realization on her father's face, Apple turned to her fiancé, "See! I can be compelling when I need to be!"

With a smile at the ridiculousness of the situation, Neal shook his head in defeat, "You threatened to kill her, that's not what I meant when I said you needed to be more diplomatic with foreign dignitaries."

She waved his comment away, actually proud of herself for defusing the situation, "Diplomatic, compelling, same thing if it gets the job done." She heard Neal's, "Not really," comment under his breath, but ignored it, instead closing the distance between herself and her mother.

"Actually," she said, suddenly sheepish as she tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear and knelt before her mom, "I, can, be diplomatic when I have to be. Really. Most of the time anyway." She signed as her mother's eyes grew wider, "OK, OK, I'm working on it!" Then she smiled a lopsided grin, "Hi mom."

* * *

><p>"Y-You're Roland? Y-You're my son." He turned to see his father take a step towards him; watched as the puzzle pieces he'd been given over the last five days became an undeniable image.<p>

He shrugged his shoulder, not bothering to comment.

"But you," Robin turned to glance back at Marion, "you threatened your own mother?"

The growl that escaped him broke the happy spell between Apple and his mother, and he took a menacing step towards his father. "That woman," he pointed at his father's current wife, "is not my mother! I've already said, so listen well, father, Regina is my mother, and I will kill any other who tries to lay claim to that title!"

His hand itched for his sword hilt, the heavy weight of the blade in his hand a constant comfort.

"You heard, Apple, Luv," Long, uncallused fingers closed over his accusing ones, and Liam pressed his slighter body against his from behind as he lowered their hands. "We're keeping this thing clean for your benefit, so don't go making her angry."

His father's eyes widened as he realized what his relationship to Liam really was, but it wasn't his approval he sought as he turned to embrace his handsome prince, and slowly let his eyes rise to those of his mother's.

Love, acceptance, understanding, filled her eyes with warmth and sparkling tears, and he couldn't help the movement of his legs as he crossed the space between them, and knelt to her level. Hesitantly, he placed his hand over hers, "Mom?"

"Roland," she whispered, and then rose to her knees and embraced him.

It was a feeling he'd thought he'd never feel again, of her strong arms wrapped around him, holding him tight, reminding him that he was loved. "Mom," he sighed, pulling her into a crushing hug, and feeling her give as much as he did.

Neal and Apple had been sent first, so they had no idea of the Sorcerer's second attack, which is why Roland was willing to forgive Neal the words that ended his mother's embrace. "As much as I hate to break this up, I think you'll agree, we need to go. We have someone to save."

His heart leapt in his chest.

Anna.

"Agreed," Liam said from behind him, and he turned just in time to see him approaching Emma and David, who were cautiously watching the Circle Points. His lithe lover executed a perfect bow, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Liam, and though the position is getting suddenly crowded, I'm Henry's brother." He winked at Emma with a touch of the humor they'd built back up to over the last five years. "Which makes you my beautiful mother, and you my ever charming Grandfather. And now," he turned to face Apple who had already risen to her feet, "if my dear friend Dannie Apple—"

"Don't call me that, Dandy boy!"

"Will assist me," he continued, unphased, "I believe we have a damsel in distress to save." And with swirling clouds of competing yellow and green magic that issued from Liam and Apple, the lot of them disappeared, leaving four cars, and a meaningless white line behind.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone reading and reviewing this story! I hope you're enjoying the original characters, but don't fear, we're going to get lots of air time with our beloved Once characters in a chapter or two.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

When the swirling cloud of magic cleared, they were standing in front of the mansion formally inhabited by The Apprentice. Emma looked towards the street, not sure how she should feel about the lack of her mother's car. Obviously time wasn't on their side as Belle and Henry were yet locked away in the library, and a cold chill went down her spine as she turned to glance at Gold.

Regina had told her about Belle's pregnancy, and her decision to terminate. She had no doubt that Regina's prediction of Gold's reaction was the most likely if he found out about what Belle was planning to do—or had done. Gold hadn't spoken since she'd arrived, and it wasn't clear what his feelings were about Belle, but Emma hoped she could keep him from bringing her up until she had a plan.

To her left, Liam dusted his hands to get off the last of the magical cloud clinging to his fingertips.

Liam. Emma had of course believed him, it wasn't that far a strech. He looked like the perfect combination of her coloring and Killian's good looks. Add to that his accent, and a more subtle guy liner than his father preferred, and she knew, like she'd known the moment she's seen Henry, that he was her son.

He looked to be much younger than Roland, the man he obviously had an intimate relationship with, but he seemed older than Apple. She guessed he was around twenty, and though not as muscular as his father, he was taller.

As if sensing her looks, he glanced over at her. He smiled, but it was guarded, not quite making it to his eyes, which seemed wary and cold. She was good at reading people, and she read distrust. It shot a stab of pain through her chest. Giving Henry away had eaten at her every day of her life, and she'd always imagined he'd hate her for it. But not once had Henry ever looked at her like his brother now did.

He was about to say something, opened his mouth to show perfectly white, straight teeth, when Roland finally got his bearings and quickly ascended the steps, causing Liam to turn away from her.

She felt unbidden tears fill her eyes as Liam walked away without a word.

"Roland wait; we need to figure out our next step." Neal had appeared on the first step of the porch, and had done a quick head count to make sure he had all the Circle Points and his friends and family. Roland's determined march towards the front door reminded him they need to organize everyone to make this work and release Anna.

"You figure out our next step, I'm going in." Roland was at the bottom step now, Liam not far behind, and it took a giant leap for him to get in front of them both. He knew it was dangerous, but with tensions already running high they needed a plan.

He dropped his hand square in the middle of Roland's chest and heard Apple draw in a fearful breath. "Rolan—"

Two fists grabbed the edges of his jacket and pulled him bodily down a step, until he was nose to nose with a seething Roland of Loxley, "Get out of my way, Neal!"

But he struggled, he had to, they needed everyone's cooperation, and while Apple raced forward to grab one of her brother's arms, and Liam took the other trying to reason with him, Neal raised his voice and issued his command.

"Stand down, Captain!"

A bitter conflict fought behind Roland's eyes, but Neal held his ground, commanding Regina's Captain of the Guard as only a future king could. It was a long three seconds of Apple tugging in vain, and Liam pleading, but eventually, Roland shoved him away, and turned to catch Liam into a one armed embrace, holding him tight as he looked up at the house longingly before burying his face in Liam's neck.

"Shhh," the blond soothed, his hands instantly going to the back of Roland's hair, "shhh, we're going to get her. We're going to bring her home and we are never, ever letting her go again. Fate be damned! I swear it, Luv, I swear it."

Apple too was seeking comfort in Neal's arms, and he leaned down to kiss her temple before turning towards the Circle Points. He addressed Regina, their leader, first. "Inside the mansion there's a hidden library filled with Books of Fate. They were gathered, unfilled, by the Sorcerer in his bid to control the destiny of Camelot and the nine realms. With help, he gave Zelina, your sister, the spell which allowed her to go back in time. We think he wanted to kill you to prevent the Circle Points from being created, but we're not sure, things didn't go as planned," he glanced over at Marion, sadness filling him at what he needed to say for the greater good. "My sister, Emma, instead traveled back in time with Killian Jones, and brought Elsa and Marion to Storybrooke. Elsa's presence did not disrupt the flow of time, but Marion's did. The Circle Points—our great magical council—knew the only way to fix things was to send a group back to remove the time obstruction," he couldn't say "kill" with Little Roland clinging to his mother's hand in confusion.

"But there was a problem," he continued, "the Circle Points had no anchor point to send us back to, as time was writing and rewriting itself over and over again because of Marion's presence."

He paused and glanced over at Liam and Roland, who were now both watching him with painful eyes. "That's when Anna, our friend, rewrote her own fate. She caused the Sorcerer and her mother to attack her, locking her away in a time spell. The spell made her appear in Storybrooke, but when is unknown. We know she's here now because the Circle Points used her as an anchor point to send us back in time so we could free her, remove the time obstruction, and return home."

He was surprised when Liam's pain filled voice added, "We don't know how long she's been in there. Trapped, all alone. It could have been three months, three years, three hundred, we just don't know." He shook his head when Roland tried to comfort him, "The Circle Points sent Neal and Apple first, which is why they were able to arrive in Storybrooke, but their very presence altered time again, and Rumplestiltskin ended up outside the town line. Since he needed to be in the town, Roland and I were sent outside to gather him and the others and get them here to break the spell."

"The spell around this Fate, Anna, The Author," Ursula asked, speaking for the first time since Neal had seen her.

It was Apple that replied, "Yes, there's a powerful time spell around Anna. All of the Circle Points as well as Liam and I are needed to overwhelm the wards and bring it down so Anna can be released."

Maleficent stepped forward, more at ease now that Apple was giving answers, "And these Circle Points, your magical council, who exactly makes up this little book club?"

"My mom," Apple named, looking at each, "Rumplestiltskin, you, Ursula, Cruella, and Emma. The five strongest magic users working for the side of good."

"The side of good, Darling? I've never worked for the side of good, wouldn't want too." Cruella sneered, stroking the fur lapel of her long white and black coat.

"Not here you don't," he replied, squeezing Apple's hand, "Zelina's spell altered time, broke it. But in our time, Anna sent Henry to find you, and offered to write you a happy ending to come home and lead. She'd foreseen the necessity of the Circle Points, and made you and Ursula the offer you took."

The people outside the mansion were silent for a moment, all lost in their thoughts, but it was the often quiet Rumplestiltskin that broke it first. "A compelling story for certain, but there's one little problem, Dearie, while these Queens of Darkness might be swayed by a promise of a happy ending, I wouldn't have been. The idea that I'd join a magical council is doubtful."

Roland took a step from Liam to face the Dark One. "You didn't just join the Circle Points, you created it. You had something worth defending Mr. Gold, something more important than individual power."

"Such as," Gold drawled, unconvinced.

"Your daughter. You had your daughter to protect." Roland answered back.

"Another problem, Dearie, I don't have a daughter, a son, once, yes, a daughter, no." He waved away the ridiculous notion.

"Wrong." Roland stated, and the sharpness of his objection had Gold locking eyes with him. "You do have a daughter, a daughter born to the Traitor of the Realm, Belle Gold. A daughter more special than any child born in an age, because she possess the greatest gift and the darkest curse, she is The Fate, Morganna Lacey Gold, The Daughter of Destiny, and it is she, Mr. Gold, who is trapped inside that house; and that is why you, are, going to help us get Anna out."

* * *

><p>She'd put her clothes back on only minutes before she heard Dr. Whale's violent protest, and her hospital door had slammed open to reveal Hook, Mary Margaret, and Henry.<p>

"Belle!" Henry cried, walking quickly into the room and pulling her into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much, but right now we have to go. My mom says something bad is happening at the town line, and Grandpa might be trying to get back in—"

He continued to talk, but she no longer heard it. Instead, a violent tremor began at her core, and vibrated out to her extremities in a matter of seconds. Her breathing became gasps as Rumple's face swam into the vision of her mind's eye and refused to leave.

A sharp pain on her cheek, and a loud crack brought her back to reality to see Hook glaring down at her, seconds before Mary Margaret pushed him out of the way with a startled cry, "Killian, how could you! Belle? Belle, are you OK?"

"We don't have time for this," the pirate began, "if she wants to fall apart over the Crocodile she can damn well do it in the car. Regina said Henry is in danger, and that means she's coming with us whether she wants to or not."

"You didn't have to hit her!" Henry yelled, and she saw a look of concern enter the boy's eyes that she didn't like. It stirred something in her, and she turned to focus instead on Mary Margaret who was fussing over her.

"What's happened?"

The queen's eyes softened. "We're not exactly sure, but someone's doing something to the town boarder, and we think it might be your—it might be Mr. Gold," Mary Margaret tried diplomatically. "Regina thinks the safest place for you and Henry is a magical room we found in a mansion just outside of town. Apparently, Gold never found it."

"I can't believe you did that," Henry screamed, getting between her and Killian, and his tone distracted everyone. He was nearly Killian's height now, Belle thought absently, "You just go around hitting girls? Would you hit my mom?"

Horror crossed Killian's handsome face, and he recoiled as if he'd been slapped himself. He shook his head wordlessly for a moment before he found his voice, his one good hand reaching out towards Henry. "No, never. I swear it on my life, Henry, I would never hurt your mother."

"Just anyone else then," Henry turned his back on the pirate captain, "Leave her alone. Stay away from my grandma." Squatting down, he offered her a soft smile, "I'm so sorry, Belle. But right now, my mom thinks we need to get to that special room, so will you come with me?"

If her husband was coming back to Storybrooke, she couldn't see him, not like this, not after what she'd almost done—what she had done!

Nodding, she let Mary Margaret and Henry help her to a standing position. She caught Dr. Hopper's eye as he stood in the doorway and shook her head as he wisely remained silent while her two companions helped her into the hallway. As they passed, Killian tried again to connect with Henry, but a final, "Don't!" had the dark haired man trailing behind them wordlessly.

The four of them filed down the hallway. But once outside, Mary Margaret went to get the car, and Belle turned to Henry, "Go with her, Henry."

He took one look at a morose Killian and shook his shaggy head, "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

From the corner of her eye, Killian flinched, but she placed her soft hand on Henry's shoulder and directed him after his grandmother, "Go on, I need to talk to Hook." That brought suspicion to Henry's eyes, and a startled look from Jones, but she held her ground until eventually, a glaring Henry, turned away from his mother's boyfriend and walked reluctantly after Mary Margaret.

She waited until he was out of earshot to turn towards the pirate. "I know you have a flask, give it to me," and she held out her hand expectantly.

He furrowed his brow, but reached into his pocket and gave her the sizable metal container. It was heavy in her hand and by the sounds of it, full. Wasting no time, she unscrewed the cap and swallowed the entire thing before she drew another breath.

His look when she handed it back to him was telling. "You wouldn't be the first wife of his to end up taking comfort in a bottle."

There was a time she might have glared, but she didn't have it in her. Instead she turned away from him as if he didn't exist, and obligingly climbed into the car when, minutes later, Henry held the door for her.

* * *

><p>Something was happening. The single strand of thread was pulsing. Luminescent blues and pinks beat to some mysterious rhythm. It caught her attention only moments before the room shook violently; massive tombs imprisoned for centuries falling from the haphazard stacks Bae's sister had left them in around the room.<p>

When it was over, she found herself beside the strand. She was shocked to see that a second strand was now connected to it. This one was black, though it glittered in the soft light from the fire. She recognized it instantly because only the line of a Fate was black. But it was unheard of for her own line to appear before her. Somewhere, hidden away in the Gods' Realm, were her three sister Fates who could see her thread, but she had never seen it herself.

With shaking hands, she reached out and ran her finger along the black strand.

When she finally let her hand fall away, tears dripped from her chin and she trembled so violently that she lost her footing and fell to the hard wood floor with a thump.

They were coming, nearly there-Roland and Liam, Apple and Bae-and they would stop at nothing to free her from her prison.

And if they did, if they let her out, the Sorcerer would win.

She had to stop them!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Oops, sorry to confuse people with the last chapter. Belle did not get a chance to terminate her pregnancy because the earthquake required Dr. Whale to check on his patients. When she talks about what she's done, she's referencing her drinking while pregnant, acknowledging that she's harmed her baby. Hope that clarifies.

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><p>A strangled sob was the only sound she could make when Roland stepped into the library. She ran to him, throwing her arms around him, but he couldn't feel her, and though he carried her as he continued to step forward, he had no idea she clung to him.<p>

Despair warred with elation, and she let her arms drop, only to tug on his sleeve, "Roland," she tried, but it had been so very long since she'd spoken it came out as a croaking noise. She tugged again, calling his name over and over, but he continued to walk into the room until he was standing directly in the middle, a frown on his face and fear in his eyes.

"Where is she?" His voice was exactly as she remembered, robust and full, warm and soothing. It was as if, with that one sentence, all her long years of isolation were not quite so dark and lonely.

"I-I don't know." Came Liam's softer tone, and Anna turned with cascading tears to see him just walking in, his frost blue eyes searching for her.

"I'm here! Here!" She tried, her accent, a mix of her parents', thick though her voice was horse. Letting go of Roland, her long green skirt and thick, curly red hair trailing behind her, she raced to him and caught his arm. Her momentum should have thrown him off balance, but instead it was she that stumbled, her slipper losing traction on the hardwood floor and she fell off her feet, dangling by his arm, which showed no give at her position.

"She should be here! She has to be," Liam tried again, swinging around to look at the room as he continued to walk forward, the movement dislodging her with a strangled sound of surprise.

"There's a lot of magic, in this room, a lot. And smell," Apple had walked in right before a large group of people Anna didn't bother to catalogue. "It smells like oranges."

"Oh, Apple, Apple!" She stumbled to her feet, losing her footing before a mad push had her directly in front of her best friend. "I'm here, Apple, I'm here. Oh please see me, please don't leave!" How long had it been? Why had she stopped counting? Decades, at least three! She needed them to see her, talk to her!

From behind, Liam drew a deep breath. "I smell them too. She's here!"

Roland, wasted no more time, "Anna! Anna! Where are you? Show yourself! We're here to take you home!"

"I see you, Roland," she sobbed again, deep gasping sobs that made it almost impossible to breathe. "I'm here! Please, please, see me, please!"

But as Bae walked into the room, and she continued to answer their cries for her with ones of her own, it became heartbreakingly apparent that they could not see or hear her, and it left her wanting to curl into a ball and die.

"Maybe she can't communicate with us," Bae finally offered as Apple wiped away shameless tears.

Looking frantic, Liam nodded, "It's possible, we don't know how powerful the Sorcerer's spell was."

"Or she's not here at all," Roland replied bitterly, and to her horror, she watched him rake the side of his arm against a stack of books, sending them crashing to the floor.

"Doubtful," and Anna's tearstained face turned instantly at her father's voice, "there's powerful magic in here, a spell I haven't felt before, but one that is undoubtedly the Sorcerer's work." Once again racing across the room, she stopped in front of him.

"Papa! Papa, if anyone can hear me it'll be you! You have to listen to me, you have to hear me! See me please see me!" But it was no use. Though her father looked uncomfortable and wary, he walked right into her, before she stepped aside and he continued into the room.

"I thought we'd see her," Apple broke, fisting at her tears. "I imagined we'd walk into the room and she'd be so happy to see us…" she trailed off, and Anna watched as a yet unseen Regina stepped forward to rest a gentle hand on her daughter's arm.

"It'll be alright. Rumple will find a way to free her. Like Roland said, he has a lot of motivation." Regina's words weren't biting like they had been recently when saying her father's name, and Anna felt confused as to what that could mean.

"If I believe the words of children, perhaps, but we shall see. First however, we need to end this spell."

"NO!" Anna cried, moving to stand closer to her father. "No, Papa you can't! You can't or this will all be for nothing! He figured it out, I don't know how, but he did! You can't break the spell—" But her father took no notice, and instead walked away from her and towards the Circle Points who were gathered a few feet inside the massive room.

"Shall we begin," he asked, though there was no doubt it was a command. Ursula stepped obligingly forward, followed by Cruella, but Maleficent and Emma held back. Her father raised an eyebrow at both but it was Maleficent who spoke.

"I'm weighting my options," she began. "On one hand, my strikingly new niece has offered me a cheery happy ending which will, no doubt, be filled to bursting with sleeping princesses, thorns, and unicorns." She smiled sweetly, "But on the other hand, I like it when the bad guys win, and you have to admit, there's no one worse than the Sorcerer." Then she extended a single finger and, swirling it in a circle at his chest, "But best of all, Rumple, if this little girl we're saving is kin of yours, a daughter no less, well then, I want something more than just my happy ending to sweeten the pot!" She popped the 'P' and 'T' with emphasis.

Her father didn't bat an eyelash, "Name your price."

"We are not haggling over Anna's freedom," Roland roared from behind them, and she turned in time to see him seething with rage, and Liam looking just as unhappy.

"Well of course we are, Dearie, that's how it's done after all." Her father turned flippantly away from the pair and back towards Maleficent. "You were saying?"

"I want Regina's head on a platter!" Maleficent hissed, snapping her teeth, much like her dragon form. "I want her life, to pay for everything she stole from me!"

"Oh please," Regina suddenly burst out, looking angry, "It was one tiny curse. You look better than ever, so actually, you should be thanking me."

"Thanking you!" Maleficent steamed, actual steam rising from her as she exhaled. "We were friends, you ungrateful cow!"

"Who are you calling a cow, Dragon!" Regina's hands began to glow with magefire, and she took a menacing step towards her once friend.

Apple raced between them her eyes still puffy from her tears but her voice commanding, "Stop it! Both of you! You both suck and did terrible things. And yeah," she glanced at her mother, "Mom you were a pretty crappy friend to Aunt Mel," she turned back to Maleficent, "and I'm not making excuses, but you did start it with that whole Jack Skellington thing!"

Maleficent's face blanched for a moment, and then she burst out laughing while Regina bared her teeth, instantly ending the tension. "Oh my gods, I forgot all about that! You should have seen your mother's face when he pulled off his head!"

"It's not funny, damnit!" Regina barked, crossing her arms over her chest, though her eyes twinkled and she looked to be fighting a smile. "It was disgusting."

"That was the point, you were in Halloween Town, and he was flirting with you." Still laughing, Maleficent looked at Apple, "Your mother had a propensity for wearing leather, and I just couldn't resist sending her on a little errand to meet the Pumpkin King. You should have heard her when she got back, spitting mad and vowing never again to go to the Holiday Realm."

Apple rolled her eyes, "Will the two of you just look at each other!" Both women sobered and glanced at one another skeptically, "Only two best friends could laugh over something so totally gross." Looking at her Auntie Mel, Apple continued, "So how about, we just delay the whole revenge thing until you both get nice and drunk together. I promise, you'll hate yourselves for the hangover, but not each other, in the morning."

Tears filled Anna's eyes as she watched her best friend. Apple had many reservations about becoming queen, most of all was her fear that she would do more harm than good to her and Neal's Kingdom's. But Anna could see the truth as Apple continued to speak until Maleficent's staff was by her side, and Regina was smiling; she was going to make a rather unorthodox, but amazing queen.

Finally, Maleficent turned back to her father, "Fine. Let's see how much this mysterious daughter of yours is worth to you Rumple. I'll help you free her, and in exchange, you owe me a favor, to be called in whenever the whim takes me."

With a curt nod, he replied, "Deal."

"Now don't forget about us, Rumple," Ursula crooned, "I'll be taking the same deal."

"And as for me, I know exactly what I want," Cruella said, her eyes suddenly dancing with determined madness. "I want you to find that damn dog, and bring him to me! I don't care what realms you have to go too, what dastardly deals you have to make, I want you to find that bastard and bring him to me!"

Again, her father nodded, "Deal." Dryly he said, as he turned away, "Well, now that, that's, settled," and he walked further into the room towards Roland.

"Agreed," Roland replied briskly, turning towards Liam who was now beside him, "Do it."

"Oh no," her breath whispered from between her lips.

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><p>"Well, this can't be good," Snow White stated as she walked through the doors of the massive library. Belle couldn't help gazing high into the stacks longingly at the thousands of books filling the room. The vertigo upended her balance, and it was in great part thanks to Killian that she didn't land in a disgraced heap on the floor.<p>

A disgraced heap, she thought, and giggled drunkenly.

"It's alright, Mary Margaret," David said from further into the room. "It's a little complicated, but well, I think you'd better come over here and meet someone."

"Oh, I think I've met most of the people in this room that I need to," she bit back, eyeing Ursula, Maleficent and Cruella warily.

"Nice to see you awake too, my dear," Maleficent shot back cheekily.

"I think," a handsome dark haired young man said from further into the room, interrupting Mary Margaret's comeback, "he means mean." Belle detected a little embarrassment, from the man, "Maybe you should sit down."

Walking over to her husband, Mary Margaret stood tall, "I'm fine. Who are you?"

Turning, David smiled down at his wife, though he was cautiously holding onto her elbow, "Snow, I know this is going to be hard to believe, and I don't want you to get upset." He paused forcing Mary Margaret to glare at him. David chuckled, "OK, have it your way. Snow White, may I introduce you to our son, Neal."

"Hi mom," the handsome man with the roundish face smiled, giving a half wave.

David pointed to a blond standing a little further away, "And that, that's Liam, our grandson."

"What did you say?" Killian barked from beside her, his eyes widening as he took in the younger man who's cold blue eyes held not a spark of warmth.

"What in the hell is she doing here!" A dark haired teen yelled from Regina's side, and Belle was surprised to see that she was pointing her menacing look at her.

And that's when she saw him, looking as dashing as ever and a thousand times more powerful than the broken man she'd left in the middle of the road. His eyes were flat, his expression neutral, but he held her gaze as her vision tunneled.

Someone whispered, "Mum," but Belle couldn't focus, her entire world shifted on his face, and her heart leapt with joy and crashed with betrayal as her hand went protectively to her belly before curling into a claw to bite into her flesh.

"Get her out of here!" Someone yelled, but she could no longer see them; her world had gone black, and she could hear little through the rushing, pounding, of her furiously beating heart.

"Grandma! Grandma, are you OK?"

"Mum! Oh Mum!"

But none of it made any sense any longer.

And then she laughed.

No, not laughed, giggled. Giggled in that high pitched sound she'd fallen in love with, and hated now more than any other.

"Get a chair! Belle? Belle can you hear me?"

"Mum!"

"Is she drunk? She's freaking drunk!"

That caused her to laugh harder, and she blinked her eyes and her vision came back. A sharp tugging in her hair made her realize she was pulling it, and she let go suddenly, her laughter dying, as she looked down at her hand accusingly.

"Grandma, it's OK. Here, here's a chair, you just need to sit," Henry's gentle hands tried to move her to the side, but she flung her arms out to break his contact with her.

"NO!" She cried, backing up, her eyes instantly finding her husband's as she shook her head in denial. "No, no, no, no…"

"You, married, her? Oh Darling, you could have done so much better!"

"Yeah he could have! Get her out of here! I don't want Anna to see her! Roland, get rid of that filthy traitor!"

"No! Roland, don't hurt her! It's not her fault! None of this is her fault! It's the Sorcerer, he did this! No, Roland please, please don't hurt her, don't hurt her! Mum!"

Belle's face shot from Rumplestiltskin's pained expression to that of a young woman with long corkscrew red hair trailing down her back, and an elegant green dress with gold brocade. Her features were sharp and elfin, giving her a classical almost ethereal beauty. But that beauty was marred by the tear stains down her face, and when Belle glanced up and into her eyes, she was startled to see copies of her own.

The hand over her belly flattened protectively. "W-what did you call me?"

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><p>Author's Note: Ah the big moment has arrived. Any guesses on how well this meeting is going to go down?<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: For those of you worried that Belle is a horrible person, this should clear things up. And for the record, my stories all end happy, so know that this is a RumplestiltskinxBelle story and they will have their Happily Ever After.

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><p>"By the gods, you can see me!" Anna cried, and wasted no time, throwing herself into her mother's arms, "Mum!"<p>

"Wh-what?"

Anna pulled back, taking her mother by the shoulders. "Mum, you have to listen to me, you have to stop Papa!"

Her mother looked like she might faint, or be sick, possibly both.

"What is she doing?" Apple cried, but Anna kept her attention focused on her mother. Despite the happy childhood she'd grown up with, warring images swirled in her mind from this timeline, of a neglecting hurtful mother who found her lack of reading detestable.

She shook her head, and then took a deep breath. It was obvious this version of her mother was under the Sorcerer's spell. That monster was cunning and despicable. Belle's cheeks were flushed in her pale face, and Anna knew if she could smell her mother, she'd reek of alcohol, most likely Rum, her favorite drink.

But this wasn't her loving, patient and wise mother. This was the result of Marion's presence here, and of her own miscalculation. If she had any hope of fixing things she needed to get her mother to speak for her.

"I know this is confusing, I know your drunk, and you're scared, but I need you to focus. You need to listen and repeat to Papa exactly what I tell you, do you understand, Mum?" Her accent was thick, erring now on her father's side as her anxiety increased. "Mum, do you understand me?"

Movement of her mother's hand against her belly, caused Anna to glance down, and she understood. With shocked realization, she looked into the depths of her mother's dull blue eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm your daughter. My name is Morganna, Morganna Lacey Gold, and you called me Anna after your friend from Arendell." She saw recognition and continued, "The Sorcerer is an evil magic user. He's the one that gave Zelina the time spell. He thought she'd go back to kill Regina, but instead she died before—"

A strangled sob caught in Belle's throat, and she pulled away, her hand covering her mouth in horror. Large eyes filled as she shook her head over and over, and Anna was at a loss.

"Mum, I know this is a lot to process, I know, but you have to listen to me. You have to tell Papa—"

Belle shook her head violently as she backed away, and from behind her hand, "No" was a constant word.

"Belle, it's ok, I won't let Grandpa hurt you, I promise," Henry stepped forward, right up to Belle, but it was Liam that caught his attention.

"Don't you dare comfort her, Henry! That bottle whore doesn't deserve—"

A crack of lightening shot through the room, and she turned in time to see her father seething at Liam, "Open your mouth again, and I'll take your tongue!"

Belle moaned, and Anna turned back to see her curled over in a standing position, clutching her stomach. "Belle?" Her father tried, but his voice just seemed to make her mother worse, and ever perceptive, he retreated with a tortured expression.

"Don't you dare feel pity for her, Rumple," Apple said, her hands fisted at her side. "You don't know what she did! You'd striker her down where she stood if you knew!"

"Then do tell, Little Girl, because someone needs to kill this pathetic creature." Maleficent tapped her staff on the ground once in finality, irritation on her face.

"Mum," Anna turned and tried again. "You need to tell Papa that he can't break the spell. I can't leave this prison! If I do, the Sorcerer wins!"

"Fine!" In all her imperial glory, Apple turned to her father, "Liam was right, she is a bottle whore, and a just plane whore for that matter! She drank, all through her pregnancy with Anna, and when she was born, Anna had a ton of complications." Apple turned back to scream at Belle, "Do you hear me, you sorry excuse for a mother? Anna nearly died because you were too pathetic to be a grown up and do what was best for your daughter! You poisoned her! Anna struggled her whole life because of you. Learning disabilities, low IQ, she was taunted by the other children, made fun of every day, and no matter how hard she tried, she was never good enough for you!"

Anna swung back to her mother to see her cowering, now on her knees, and Anna bent down and tried to shake her. "Mum, listen to me, it doesn't have to be that way. Apple only remembers what's happened since Marion arrived, but it's not our reality! The Sorcerer outwitted me, I didn't see it until today. You weren't a hateful mother. You were kind and loving, you read me stories, thousands of stories about far off places, and you, me, and Papa visit them all!"

But Apple was continuing, unable to hear her words. She faced Rumplestiltskin who looked horrorstruck. "She's drunk now! Pregnant and drunk, and don't for a second think she doesn't know it! And when Anna's born, she dumps a special needs child on your lap and goes off to play house with Jefferson!" She took a menacing step towards the fallen Belle, "And despite all of that, all her initial short comings thanks to you, Anna was happy. You'd never met anyone who saw the world as purely as Anna. She had a smile for everyone, even the people that tormented her. Half the time she didn't even know she was being made fun of. If it hadn't been for Roland, Anna would have died when some kids convinced her to jump off the bridge. Roland and Liam have protected her, her entire life, and when she told you she was in love with them, that she and Roland were getting married, you, you" Apple screamed the pronoun, "called her a whore for sleeping with two men that loved her more than anyone in all the world! Well you're the whore, Belle! You're the one that teamed up with the Sorcerer to kill your own daughter! You did that, and I pray to all the gods in the Gods Realm that you burn in the nine hells for eternity for what you've done!"

Neal was struggling to restrain Apple, whose hands glowed green with mage fire. Belle was sobbing on the hardwood floor, shaking her head back and forth and clutching at her belly. A glance at her father showed he had gone deathly pale, but his eyes were hard when he looked at his wife, and his hands were fisted at his sides in rage.

Anna knew she had to act fast. She reached out and hauled her mother up, and shook her. "Those things are not going to happen, because you are going to tell Papa exactly what I say and he's going to fix our timeline. Mum, repeat after me—"

"No, no, I can't, I can't!" Her mother was shaking violently and pulling at her hair.

"Come on Belle, you're alright," Emma was kneeling now beside her mother, trying with Henry to comfort her, but a quick glance at Roland showed her lover was fast losing his patience with the situation.

Thinking fast, she tried a different tactic, "Alright, Mum, can you talk to Henry, will you tell Henry what I'm saying?"

"Henry," Her mother asked, mascara sliding down her broken face.

"I'm right here, Belle, it's going to be OK, please don't cry, please."

"Yes," Anna said, shaking her head furiously, "Yes, tell Henry what I tell you. Ready?"

"Tell," she paused, as if too overwhelmed to process what was happening, "Tell Henry?"

"Yes, tell Henry that Anna says P—Liam cannot break the spell." She squeezed her mother's arms, willing her words to cut through the fog.

She hesitated a moment longer, and Anna felt sure she wouldn't be able to complete the task, and then her mother turned to Henry, and said, "Liam can't break the spell."

"What!" Roland roared, followed quickly by Apple's shocked exclamations.

"Don't be daft, we're getting her out of there, and no siren's words from you will stop us!" Liam was furious, and Belle had shrunk away from their outbursts.

But Anna pressed on. "Tell Henry, Mum look at me," she shook her mother to gain her attention, hating herself for the wild look in those blue eyes, "Tell Henry, that you can see me, tell him you can see Anna, and that I'm telling you not to release me!"

But it was obvious Belle was totally confused. "I can see Henry! You cannot release him!"

"No, Mum—"

But the damage was done.

"Enough of this," Roland turned to her father, "Do it. Bring it down."

Crying out in frustration, Anna tried one more thing. Grabbing her mother's face she jerked her forward and to attention, the action causing Emma to fall back and look shockingly at Belle. "Tell Roland," She said, her words clear as she held firm control of her mother's frantic eyes, "That Anna made a mistake and that the Sorcerer figured out my plan. Tell him, say it!"

Shaking, Belle repeated her words, "S-she says she made a mistake, that he, that the Sorcerer figured out her plan."

"Bullshit!" Liam swore, stalking towards them so that Belle tried to pull away, but Anna grabbed her sleeve and refused to let her retreat. "You'd say anything to help that bastard! Anna's here, and I'm not leaving until I have her in my arms. So you run back to the Sorcerer and tell him—"

"Hold on, Liam, just wait a second," Emma surprised them, climbing to her feet to put her hand against his advancing chest to stop him. "I know when someone's lying, and Belle isn't lying. Plus, look at how she's been moving, someone is obviously touching h—"

Liam slapped her hand away and bared his teeth at her, "Despite my charming smiles, mother, we're hardly so familiar. And don't you ever," he stepped into her space forcing Emma to take a step back, "ever touch me without my permission again. You lost that right a long time ago!"

Killian stepped forward and bodily threw Emma behind him, his good hand fisted, "Back off, boy."

Anna's stomach dropped as she saw Roland tear up the floor to get to Liam, but Liam held his ground, glaring deathly at his father. "Or what," he challenged dangerously, magic sparking between his fingertips. "I'm not 15 this time, father, so if you feel like going another round, fine by me. But be warned, the Dark One himself trained me, and I won't show you anymore mercy than you showed me!"

Neal intercepted Roland, while Killian looked confused, and dropped his hand from the ready.

"Good choice, Mate," Liam sneered.

"Liam," Emma tried again, managing to work her way around Killian, "Just listen to me for one minute. I don't know what's happened between us, I mean we just met 20 minutes ago, but the fact is, Belle isn't lying. Someone really is here, and talking to her."

"She's the Sorcerer's puppet," Apple threw across the room, holding onto one of Roland's arms to protect the rest of them, "He's probably manipulating her."

"Agreed," Liam barked, turning his back on his mother and stalking back towards Roland.

It was now or never. She turned to her mother, "Tell Liam he's a bunny!"

And despite every reason for her not to repeat the words, Belle did, "She says you're a bunny."

Liam jerked to a stop, going completely still, and Anna pushed her mother to continue. "Tell him he's a fu-fu bunny rabbit, and Apple is a fairy!"

"She, she says you're a fu-fu bunny and Apple is a fairy."

After a moment, "No she's not," Liam whispered as he slowly turned around, "I'm the fairy, and Apple's a field mouse."

"Say, 'No, Anna is the field mouse because she likes cheese, so you have to be the bunny.'"

Belle repeated her words, and Liam glanced at Apple to see that she was equally stunned and had Belle's undivided attention.

"Now tell him, that I love him, but he can't let me out, that if I leave, the last anchor point will be lost."

Belle nodded, gaining a little more confidence now that no one was screaming at her, "She says, she says that she loves you, but you can't let her out, that if she leaves the last, um," she paused, losing the rest of Anna's sentence.

"The last anchor point will be lost and the Sorcerer will just give Zelena the spell again."

Belle nodded, "That the last anchor point will be lost and Zelena will, that the Sorcerer will give Zelena the spell again."

"Roland," Neal tried, capturing their attention, "If Emma says Belle is telling the truth, I believe her, and Anna, is, our last anchor point to this time. If Zelena did get the spell without an anchor point, everything we've done could be undone."

"Exactly! Tell him, exactly!"

"She says 'exactly'." Belle dutifully parroted back.

"You might believe her," Roland said, pulling away from Apple and stalking towards her mother, "But I don't. If Anna is in here, she'd want us to let her out no matter what."

Tears filled Anna's eyes unbidden, and she blinked, releasing them as she turned to her mother. "Of course I do, I want out. They have no idea how long I've been in here. But we can't let the Sorcerer win. We have to do what's best for the greater good." She stood on shaking legs as Roland glared down at her mother who was watching her rise, intently. "Tell him that I love him too, that I'd do anything to hold him right now, kiss him and Liam until I passed out from happiness, but if he lets me out, it'll be the wrong me he gets. That's what the Sorcerer did, he made it so that my friends have forgotten our real past. All they remember is the world that came after Marion was brought here by Emma and Killian. But that's not our world," she turned to look at her mother who was looking up at her with glazed eyes, "They remember the me from this timeline, that's who they described to you, but that's not me. I am Morganna Lacey Gold, Morganna La Fey, The Oracle of the Forrest, The Guardian of Avalon, the resting place of Excalibur and the Weaver of Fate. I am not the broken child they saved in this broken time, I was raised by loving parents, you and Rumplestiltskin." She took herself back down to her mother's level. "You and Papa were the greatest parents a girl could ever wish for. I had everything I could have ever wanted. Love, acceptance, everything. The Sorcerer has tricked them, he—"

Roland cut her off, turning away from her mother to face her father. "I have the upmost respect for you Dark One, but your wife is the most destructive kind of liar. She tore your daughter apart with cruel words and unrealistic expectations. I cannot count the nights I held her sobbing in my arms while she recited the slanderous things Belle said to her. That woman," he pointed behind him at her mother without a glance, "stripped your daughter of every ounce of dignity she had, calling her stupid, pathetic and lazy. Then she conspired directly with the Sorcerer to give Zelena the time spell so that he could control the fate of the Ten Realms."

"To what end," Her father was still, his words completely neutral as he looked from her fallen mother to her handsome lover. "Why would she do these things?"

"Because she hates you, Rumplestiltskin. She hated you enough to take every opportunity to break your only surviving child, and she conspired with the Sorcerer because he promised to kill you." Roland stood just as still, facing her father with a truth that was true to his knowing, but so terribly wrong.

Her father turned away, and faced Regina, "We're bringing it down."

Nodding, she moved to stand beside him, as did the others followed by a determined Apple and a more cautious Liam.

"No, they can't, they can't do this!"

"I'm not doing it," Emma said, causing everyone in the room to lock onto her as she crossed her arms. "I think there's enough doubt here that we need to stop and think things through."

"Always with you royal types," Roland said with a growl. "There's a time to think and a time to act, and this is a time to act. I'm done waiting."

Emma glanced at the Circle Points and shook her head, "Well I'm not, and since you need me to undo this spell, I guess that means you're waiting."

"Wrong," Liam replied. "We don't need you, we just need someone from your line, and sadly, that means mean." He turned his back on her completely and nodded towards Apple and Regina.

And then there was no more time. Swinging around, Anna dropped to her knees before her mother. Desperation had her talking too fast as she felt the Circle Points beginning to unravel the spell around her. Reaching out, she grabbed her mother's hand, willing her to remember her words. "Killing Marion won't work. To undo everything the Sorcerer has done, they need to use Zelena's time spell and go back in time to stop Emma and Killian from bringing Marion back at all. To do the spell, they need a child of True Love, born of the purest magic." She reached out to touch her mother's belly, "Me, they need to use me to cast the spell and stop them."

Desperately she squeezed her mother's hand as a powerful wind began to blow in the room, throwing back pages of books in every direction. "You can't believe anything that's happened since Zelena's arrival. The Sorcerer has been manipulating all of us this entire time." The wind was roaring now, and she yelled over the deafening sound to be heard, "In my time, you forgave my father for killing Zelena. You two were happy together, and my birth changed Papa forever. He became the man he was supposed to be, a dedicated husband and father, not the Dark One.

"You have to warn them," she screamed now. "Don't let Roland kill his moth—"

And then everything broke apart like shattering glass, and Morganna Lacey Gold, Morganna La Fey, The Oracle of the Forrest, The Guardian of Avalon, and the Weaver of Fate was no more; swallowed by time.

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><p>Author's Note: OK, who's mad at me for making Roland, Anna and Liam kinky?<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

"Roland," Liam's voice was a half whisper, as Gold watched Roland turn in the direction his lover was facing. As he turned as well, his heart slammed against his ribs with a pain he hadn't felt since Bae's death.

Kneeling in front of his Belle, was a small young woman, no more than her late teens or early twenties. Her long rich, auburn hair cascaded in thick, spiraling curls in every direction that pooled around her on the golden hardwood floor. Her emerald dress, with painstakingly detailed gold brocade, showed her to be thin boned.

She was clutching Belle's hands, but as Roland broke away from the group, he watched her, his heart breaking.

First, she jerked her hands from Belle's, bringing them under her breast protectively. As he watched, one hand fell behind her as she slid off her ankles, kicking back at the slick floor with golden slippers as she struggled to scoot away from Belle's shocked expression. Her strangled sounds of shock and fear, brought his hand to his chest.

"Mummy." It was not a pleasant tone, instead filled with longing and fear mingled together as complicated as her childhood must have been.

She pushed back again and gained a few more inches space between herself and her mother.

"Anna!" Roland approached her from the side, and she turned in just the right direction for Gold to see her face. Her features were round and soft, no sharp lines. Large oval eyes just slightly too close together, in an oval face.

Her blue eyes instantly filled with tears, and her tiny boned arms came up before her, reaching for her advancing lover. "Roland!" And then she dissolved into a fit of torrential sobs.

The dark haired man was at her side instantly, drawing her forward as she threw her chin over his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip. "Shhh, Anna, shhh, I have you. I have you now. It's alright," Roland crooned, but she seemed too overwhelmed to notice, and sobbed harder, hiccupping his name.

The wrongness of what he was seeing hit him squarely. Regardless of the circumstances, she was far too old to be crying in such a manner. It was like watching a young child break down, and a sharpness came to his senses as he realized what he was seeing.

As Roland picked her up effortlessly, Gold's eyes traveled over to Belle, who was looking confused. Overwhelming anger surged through him as he watched her right hand settle protectively over her stomach. It was as Apple had said, his beautiful wife was pregnant, and her hatred towards him had caused her to poison their child.

"There, there, now Luv, no more tears." Liam had slid into place next to Roland who now stood surrounded by his friends and sister. Anna lifted her tear stained, childlike face, and dissolved into another fit, this time crying out Liam's name and throwing herself from Roland to Liam, who quickly took her from the other and into his own arms. Smaller than his partner, he moved to a nearby wide couch and sat in the middle. Roland settled on one side, while Apple took the other, Neal standing over the back protectively.

"She changed."

He jerked around, his eyes falling on Belle, who was staring at their daughter, still unmoved from the floor. "She looks…different now."

Neal turned in her direction, his brow furrowed as he glanced between Belle and Anna. The former continued to sob into Liam's shoulder, while the son of Hook expertly comforted her.

Hook's son. He'd let his daughter pair up with that pirate's son; and Regina's apparently. It turned his stomach to think that that sea dog's boy was holding his daughter, but he couldn't deny that in his arms, she was calming, or that his softly spoken words to her were obviously more than simply pretty.

Roland too seemed equally troubled over Anna's outburst, his large hand rubbing clockwise circles her in back while he whispered to her words of love and safety. Roland he could understand. He liked the boy, and imagined he would have encouraged their interactions; not to mention he'd always had a soft spot for Regina, so it made sense. What was troubling was Roland's violent temper, and he resolved himself to watching the man's interactions with his daughter very closely in the days to come.

His daughter. It still didn't seem real, but there was no denying that while she had Belle's coloring, those corkscrew curls and thin frame were obviously his. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about it all just yet, and remained far away from the couple on the couch while he continued to assess the situation.

"Can magic help her?" Regina asked quietly, having noticed as well the childlike drama before them and attributing the cause. Her words were spoken without malice, and when he turned towards her, he saw sympathy and anger in her expressive eyes.

Surprisingly, it was Ursula who spoke from her left; like Regina, she whispered so as not to be heard outside their circle. "Magic can't be used to directly alter a Fate. I heard that Hades tried it once and things did not end well for him." Her words seemed to pain Regina, and he was surprised when she turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Rumple, truly."

Any reply he was prepared to offer was cut short by a broken, watery voice from across the room. "Papa's here?" His heart clenched painfully in his chest to hear her call him 'Papa' to know she was searching for him. As Liam nodded, she turned to confirm this with Roland who also nodded and then pointed over the back of the couch at him.

When her blue eyes met his, he had to lean more fully on his cane. Her soft face crumbled, and the two arms once wrapped tightly around Liam's neck shot out towards him over the back of the couch, her fingers stretching to reach him, and her high voice, sounding so much like his, cried out through her fresh tears, "Papa! Papa! Papa!"

His feet moved instinctively towards the sound of his calling child, and his vision swam with tears as he rounded the couch and her whole face followed him. Apple quickly gave up her place beside her friend, and he sat down, to immediately have a lap filled with a sobbing child he now realized, couldn't be more than five feet tall.

"Papa!" She buried her eyes in his warm neck, her hot breath dampening his collar. Without a thought one of his hands wound up her neck and into her hair, and the other rubbed comfortingly across her back. She was as light as a feather, thinner than he'd imagined, and with his hand around the back of her neck, he knew her to have bird bones at best.

"I was so," her voice caught, "so lonely, Papa."

And he crumbled, pulled her tight against him and buried his face against her soft auburn curls. He rocked her slowly, and the rightness, the feeling of this being familiar stole over him, until he was humming softly to her, a tune he'd sung to Bae in his youth. "Shhh, Sweetheart, shh now. You're safe. You're safe. Papa has you."

* * *

><p>Roland and Liam were both shedding happy tears, and Apple openly crying with a huge smile on her face, when Neal turned, made eye contact with Emma, and escaped the room unseen.<p>

He wasted no time when Emma and Killian stood before him. "I think it's obvious Belle was talking to someone, and the way we found Anna when she first appeared makes it seem like it was probably her." Emma nodded, a little guarded and wary, no doubt from the hostile exchange between she and her son. But Neal had other things more pressing than this age old fight—and his own opinions.

"We need to know what Anna told her mother, but she's not going to get a fair hearing from anyone in that room," he threw a thumb over his shoulder. "We all have our reasons for hating her, and that's not going to change overnight. So you need to get her out of here and find out what she knows."

"What are you going to do," Emma finally asked, glancing into the room.

"I'm going to be there for Apple and Anna. Liam won't do anything until he's had more time with Morganna, and Roland's the same. We talked about taking Anna somewhere quiet to recuperate before we killed Marion—"

"Before you what?!" Shock colored Emma's eyes a brilliant blue as they widened. "Why would you want to kill Marion? What does she have to do with anything?"

Anger simmered deep within his chest, but he held his temper; Emma had no idea what her actions had done to their timeline. Drawing a deep breath, he tried his best to explain. "When you and Killian traveled back in time and brought back Marion that was no coincidence. The guards had been bribed to move you to a cell next to hers." Emma looked skeptical and he couldn't hold back his irritation, grinding out, "You still don't know what we're dealing with. The Sorcerer isn't just some run of the mill magic user, he had a spell for time travel, a spell he reduced so brilliantly, that even Zelena, a witch unfamiliar with Enchanted Forest magic, could cast it.

"He knew you would travel back in time, and knew what you'd do once you found out Marion was to be executed." He paused trying to hold it together and get the words out before he was missed by Apple and the others. "Bringing her back broke our timeline. The Circle Points believe the only way to reset our timeline is to kill Marion, but Anna might have told Belle more, she seemed to be listening to someone for a long time before Roland lost it. If there's a way to fix our time without killing Marion, I'd prefer that option."

"So what do you want us to do?" Killian asked, but Neal could hardly look at the man so kept his response directed at Emma.

"I want you to get Belle out of here. Take her somewhere safe and find out what Anna told her—everything Anna told her." The room behind him was starting to stir, and he knew he needed to get Belle out of there.

"Where can we take her? If the Crocodile wants her, there's no safe place for her."

He turned finally to face Killian, his eyes cold, his voice equally so. "Take Belle to Jefferson. The Hatter has a soft spot for broken things and Traitors, he'll keep her in his Relic Room until she talks."

"Relic Room?" Emma asked, but their time was up.

"Just do it, Emma!" Then he turned, walked past the still prone Belle, who had yet to move even an inch, and went to stand in front of the couch beside Apple.

"What? No hugs for your big brother and best friend?"

Anna turned from her soft hiccups into her father's shoulder to look up at him before her face shifted into a brilliant smile, "BAE! APPLE!" She was off her father's lap and into his arms like lightening, and he bent low to hold her close as Apple embraced her and they hugged each other in giddy glee.

All the while, he watched over her shoulder as Emma and Killian snuck back into the room and helped Belle and Henry to their feet before the four of them exited unseen.

* * *

><p>"My, my, my, if it isn't the Savior, the Pirate, the Truest Believer, and the Rabbit. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Jefferson stood with his mansion doors wide open, and Henry could see Paige—or Grace as she now preferred to be called for her father's benefit—sitting at the formal dinning room table at the end of the long entrance way. Her eyes were round enough that he could see her watching them with surprise.<p>

"We need to get Belle inside your Relic Room before Gold comes looking for her." His mother said, shoving her way past the Hatter and dragging Belle with her. "Where is it?"

His Grandmother had not said a word since they'd left, just stared straight in front of her with a blank expression. He'd tried to get her to talk to him in the car, but she either wouldn't, or couldn't.

"And just how do you know about that room," Jefferson asked with deep suspicion as he took a great leap forward to block Emma's path into the house.

"Papa?" Grace asked from her place, now standing at the table.

"It's alright, Grace, Papa just needs to talk to these nice people." He was speaking to Grace like she was still a child, which she'd confessed, her father often treated her as. Apparently, Jefferson had had more trouble than most adapting to The Curse and the year back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Look Mate, if we don't get her into that room, the Dark One is going to gut her, so unless you want to be responsible for her death, show us the bloody room."

Looking skeptical, Jefferson inquired, "Why would Rumple hurt his wife? True she threw him out, but he's dealt with worse female rejection. He should be overjoyed to have her home."

"We'll tell you the story in a minute, first, take us to this secret room Gold can't get into."

Maybe it was the desperate tone in his mother's voice, or the shaking that had suddenly overtaken Belle, but Jefferson eventually nodded and drew them deep into the massive home.

Henry elected to stop by the table next to Grace.

"Is your grandma OK, Henry? She didn't look well." Concern had Grace reaching out her small, warm hand to his arm in comfort, and he couldn't help but blush and look away.

"Y-yeah. Maybe. She just got out of the hospital, and then ran into my Grandpa, and apparently spoke to her future daughter," he paused, "and she's drunk." Grace blinked at him and he shrugged, glancing away, "So I guess I don't know, but I hope so."

"Wow, it sounds like she's had a really terrible day."

He looked over at her and smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Slowly but surely, the mystery unravels. Thanks to everyone who is sharing this story with their friends so more people know about it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Sorry this is so late. I was struggling the entire time to figure out Anna's voice, and then I got a review from a guest saying that Roland and Liam are annoying, and I thought, "crap, I've written them wrong" so I had to reread the whole thing, and then scrapped what I'd written, and started again. This is my 4th attempt at this chapter, and I'm going to go ahead and call it a draft. It's a real struggle to write a character like Anna, who has to be strong enough that she can reasonably be in a commited adult relationship, but struggling realistically with limitations thanks to her birth defects. I don't know how well it turned out, so please, let me know if she's convincing, or if she needs more tweeks. I might rewrite this again. And as for Roland and Liam being annoying, I'm so sorry Guest, they're not supposed to be! More of their back story comes out here, in bits and pieces, hopefully a calmer Roland will help make him more agreeable as a character.

* * *

><p>When she'd become too exhausted to do anything other than lay in Roland's arms quietly, her fingers curled between the buttons of his shirt, they'd taken Anna home. His home. Neal and Apple, left behind to explain things to the rest of the room.<p>

A cloud of magic from his fingertips had deposited them before the salmon colored house on Baelfire Court, and Roland had carried her up the brick steps while he'd open the door. An entryway filled with shattered glass had stunned him, but not Liam, who had rushed up the stairs. By the time the other three were able to follow, he'd opened up the room that Gold had once prepared for a son he thought might be 14 when found.

Anna had been quiet as Roland set her on the bed, and he'd watched as the older man stepped back so that Liam could take the lead. Softly, Liam issued carefully spoken directions until Anna was dressed in nothing but her shift, and then he helped her into the bed before kicking off his own shoes and sliding in behind her, wrapping her up into his arms. His voice had been lulling as he'd whispered to her softly, often pressing his lips to her hair, his thumb constantly rubbing her arm in comfort.

What Liam said to her, he didn't wait to hear. He could sense the anxiety in Roland, who had moved to stand beside him, and with a knowing look, Gold had released the young man to take his place with his chosen family. But watching the other man kick off his shoes and move to the buttons of his shirt proved too much for a confused father to watch, and so he'd closed the door and retreated to his own room.

The fact that it smelled like Belle twisted his insides with furious rage and hopeless longing, as he relived the slightness of Anna in his arms, or the memory of Belle asleep on a distant Sunday morning. A wave of his hand stripped all of her things from the room and deposited them unceremoniously in the Library's upstairs apartment, but as he climbed into bed, world wary and frightened of what fatherly responsibilities awaited him the next morning, he couldn't help reaching for Belle's pillow and inhaling her sweet, lingering scent.

* * *

><p>Liam and Roland were both still sleeping, and Anna was tired of remaining silent. She wanted to talk, to anyone really, but the sound of her father's cane rhythmically tapping in the kitchen downstairs drove her to shimmy out from between her two lovers and slip silently out of the room.<p>

Having lived here nearly her entire life, she knew all the squeaky board and smiled to herself as she stepped cautiously from one foot to the other, navigating the bright hallway, illuminated by the picturesque stained glass window. The stairs were accomplished quickly, and on stealthy feet, she maneuvered through the living room and to the kitchen beyond.

Walking cautiously forward, she slid up to the kitchen's archway to peer inside. Her father was standing over the kitchen island staring into a black teacup with gray flecks. It struck her as wrong somehow. He looked sad, and she hated to see him that way.

"Papa?" She asked, stepping away from the archway and into the room. He straightened immediately, and his face transformed to the gentle smile she knew and loved so much.

"Good morning, Sweetheart." But he didn't move, and suddenly his smile dimmed and he looked nervous.

She didn't like that either.

Liam had reminded her last night that Papa wouldn't know how to do things her way, and that she'd have to teach him. It was a little irritating now, remembering how Liam had spoken to her like a child, but she knew enough about herself to know that at the time, it had been the best thing for her.

"Good morning." Smiling she walked around the island. "Did you sleep well, Papa?" Her father often had trouble sleeping, "bad memories" he'd say, and though Anna knew he'd done horrible things in the past to find her brother and avenge him, most of the details weren't shared by him—though the school yard children had more than shared.

His hands moved over the counter top, and for a moment it reminded her of someone playing the piano. Liam played the piano, both he and Bae did. She used to sit for hours doing homework and listening to them practice in her living room while Apple or Roland tried to help her comprehend the material. And sometimes Liam would sing, and he had the best voice that would—"

"Anna?" Her Papa was touching her hand, and she looked up and smiled.

"Did you sleep well, Papa?" He looked confused for a moment before he smiled.

"Yes, thank you. How did you sleep?" He was acting strangely, which was making her nervous.

Walking around him, she went to the cabinet to get a cup and her decaf tea, but opening the cabinet revealed that her mouse cup wasn't in its usual place. Confusion hit her hard, but she remembered what Liam had said, and she took a deep breath, tapping her finger three times on the wooden cabinet door so she wouldn't get upset.

"Papa, my cup isn't here." She stated calmly, turning back towards him. It was soooooo hard to keep remembering that this was the past and things weren't as they were supposed to be. With a sigh, she showed with her hands what she wanted.

"I need a coffee cup, like this, and like this, with a mouse, a fairy, and a bunny. And the bunny ears are the handle. You made it for me last time, and that time I broke it when I didn't use a stepping stool like you told me too. You were so mad at me, because you had just told me to get a stepping stool, and I didn't listen. I had to go to bed without dessert, remember?" He looked pained, and she hated that.

Shaking her head as if that could remind her that it was the past, she tried again. "Well of course you don't remember. That was a long time ago, I was nearly 10. But if you could make it for me again, I'd really like it. I have to stay on my routine and I always have decaf tea in my mouse cup every morning."

Her father nodded, and she smiled, happy he was following her. Sometimes people had a hard time following her, but Papa was always the best at following her twisting mind.

A wave of his hand and a puff of magic revealed he'd gotten her cup exactly right, and she rushed forward to claim it with a hop in her step. "That's perfect, Papa! You did it exactly right! Thank you so much!" Flexing on her toes she kissed his cheek and then moved to the kettle to get some hot water.

"And I slept really well. It was hard to sleep alone for so long, and even though Roland snores, I sleep better when Roland, Liam, and you are in the house too. But I sleep best in Dark Castle. I can't wait until we can go home. The sheets are nicer there because Mel got them for us. I think it was for Roland's birthday, but I can't remember now." A puff of magic had a star covered tea tin next to her hand, and she turned back to him with a beaming smile before opening the tin and portioning out her morning cupa.

When she'd finished and it was seeping, warm, and welcoming in her hands, she turned around carefully, and pointed her chin at the breakfast nook where they took all of their meals. Once situated, she looked up at him and gave a little sigh.

"It's hard for me to keep it all straight, but Roland said we'd answer a lot of questions today, which reminded me that you probably have a lot of questions, and," she looked at him knowingly, "since I can guess what a lot of your questions are, how about I start?"

At his nod, she did as taught and started from the beginning. "I was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. That's why my eyes are so small, and see my upper lip and jar are small, that's because of the FAS. I was late doing a lot of things too, such as walking and talking, and when I went to school we learned that I have a really hard time with school. It takes me a million times longer to learn things than it did the other kids, and that's why I started out a year ahead of Liam, but would have graduated with Apple if I'd finished. I mean," she felt horrified that he might think she was dumb and reached out her hand to cover his, "I did finish. All of my schooling, but you and I finished it together after we moved to Dark Castle. High school was so horrible that when the portal opened, you and I went through right away, and I didn't have to finish Freshman year, which was good because I hated it there." And she had; the kids had been exceedingly cruel, and since Liam had a different lunch than she did, and Apple was still in middle school, she'd had no one to talk too, and lunch was so awful that she spent most of her time eating in the bathroom which was disgusting and-

"Anna?" She looked up to see her Papa looking worried. Why was he—OH!

With a giggle she explained. "Sorry, sorry! I get distracted, really easily. I have ADHD, so usually I'm bouncing off the walls—hence why I have to drink decaf—but since I haven't taken my medicine," she paused thinking about how long she'd been in that room, and suddenly felt so lonely. A squeeze of her hand showed she probably had her emotions all over her face, but it was her Papa's worried expression again that had her leaning over the table and hugging him tightly.

"I missed you so much, Papa. You and Roland and Liam, and Apple and Bae, and Henry and Regina and Mel and just everybody. Well not everybody. I still hate Alexandra, but everybody else." Leaning back she sat down and gave herself a mental shake. She had to try to stay on topic. It was a lot easier when Papa helped, but she could do it, she just had to use the techniques Mary Margaret had taught her.

She tapped her finger three times on the tabletop and then continued when she felt organized. "Where was I, oh yeah, I did finish school, but I didn't pass math, I hate math and it hates me. And I told you that I have ADHD, I also have some pretty crazy learning disabilities, but we never let them keep me from learning, did we?" She beamed at him, and he smiled back, but then she remembered that he couldn't possibly know that, and felt a little more of her growing sense of frustration. Still she pressed forward, "Anyway, I told you I hate math, and I do, and science, which is a stupid subject since it can't explain magic, or Fate. Oh, and I love art, which is good because when I have a vision, if I don't draw it right away it gives me a headache. Back home, we keep paints and paper in every room of the castle. Well except the bathrooms, that would just be silly.

"And I love to spin. You taught me when I was really young, maybe six, and I was so excited because you told me that you tried to teach my brother when he was my age, but Bae was terrible at it and hated it, but I loved it because I like repetitive actions, they make things less chaotic in my head. But Bae hated it, and you were really happy that I liked to do it, so you got me my own wheel and we used to spin together. And then one night you showed me how you spun straw into gold, and it was such a pretty yellow color—even though yellow is my least favorite color—but it was still pretty, and I wanted to spin in pretty colors too, which is when I spun my first Tread of Fate. You got very quiet after I did that, but eventually I learned how to control it and now I usually only do it when someone in our realm is born. Like I had to spin one when Henry's daughter was born, which was really crazy because I also had a vision about Serena sleeping on a stack of mattresses a mile high and being very uncomfortable, which I said in class and everyone made fun of me for not knowing the Princess and the Pea story, but Roland read it to me that night when he was babysitting so the other kids couldn't laugh at me anymore." She chewed her inner lip, "I hate it when the other kids would laugh at me."

"Did," her father interrupted her, "did they do that often?"

She didn't like thinking about school and told him as much. "I never wanted to tell you all the mean things the kids would say. That's why Roland started defending me from the other kids, and then Liam took over when Roland moved to the big kid's school. And then Liam and Apple and Bae would look out for me. I was always doing what the other kids said, you know stupid stuff, because I wanted them to like me." She stopped because her Papa opened his mouth and she knew she'd been rambling again.

"You said," he paused, "that Bae looked out for you?"

She nodded, "Sure, Bae was always really nice to me. That's why I thought it was great when he and App—OH! You think I mean Bae my brother. No, no, Papa, I call Neal 'Bae' because he has the name Bae picked for himself, and he was named after him, and because he's always treated me like I was his little sister anyway. Sorry," she glanced away, "I didn't mean to confuse you. Usually you can keep things straight when I talk, not like other people who get confused. But I know you don't remember, so you're probably confused like everyone else. Will it's not that you don't remember, you just don't know, which is even worse, and it's really very confusing!"

Frustration seeped into her. Of everyone, Papa always knew what she was trying to say, the fact that he didn't now made her bounce her foot on the kitchen floor. She tried her tapping coping mechanism, but her father still looked nervous, and it was starting to get to her.

Standing, she put her hands on the back of the chair, "I-It's just, I mean, y-you," but the words wouldn't come, and she turned and took a step away, before turning right back around and putting her hands back on the chair. "I-I know, its, I know this is all really confusing for you. But, just, it's," but she couldn't continue. Tapping her finger on the back of the chair wasn't work, so she tried counting to three, but Papa just kept looking at her like she was getting more and more pathetic, and she was starting to feel that way.

Suddenly, he stood and rounded the table before taking her hands off the back of the chair and clasping them in his own. He was nearly a head taller than she was, so she had to tip her head back to look up at him so close; but when she did, his expression was serene and comforting. Slowly, so she had time to move into position, he kissed her forehead and then drew her into a tight embrace. His voice was as soothing as always as he rubbed up and down her back with his gentle fingers, "It is confusing, Sweetheart, but we'll figure it out. It's going to be alright."

And she knew it would be, because Papa kept his promises.

* * *

><p>"ANNA!" Roland bellowed as he stormed through her childhood home. He knew every inch from the numerous times Anna and the others had forced him into yet another endless game of hide and seek. Now he was grateful as it allowed him to navigate with ease.<p>

"She's not in the bathroom!" Liam called down just as he heard her sweet voice call up from the back of the house.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Wasting no time with the stairs, he vaulted over the side of the railing as he heard Liam scrambling upstairs, before he devoured the space between himself and the kitchen.

She was standing with a knowing smile on her face a few feet from her father. Relief flashed through him, and he took three massive steps until he reached out and drew her small frame against his and held her tight enough that she could never again leave him.

"Oh thank the gods on Olympus!" Liam proclaimed as Roland turned them so their partner could slide in behind Anna, sandwiching her between them until she giggled a protest.

Reluctantly, he let her go, but leaned down the near foot and a half necessary to come eye level with her. He took her round face into his hands and gave her a playful growl to which she giggled as he tried to fake a stern command, "No more running off in the middle of the night, you damn near gave me a heart attack."

She giggled again, her eyes alight with their playful game, but rolled them anyway at his display. "It wasn't the middle of the night, it's past 10 in the morning. And I didn't run off, I went to talk to Papa, and we've been having a brilliant conversation this morning, haven't we, Papa?"

He glanced over her shoulder to see no smile or smirk on his soon to be Father-in-law's face, instead he wore a more dangers express of neutrality, and Roland knew he was in trouble for something.

Standing, he spun Anna until she was facing Liam and gave her a playful shove that sent her into his long, thin arms. Liam's blond head ducked instantly, smothering her with obnoxious kisses that had her laughing in a fit, but clinging to him. "Stop! Stop! That's not a proper good morning kiss!"

"Well, never let it be said that I don't know how to give a proper kiss," and Liam dipped her low to the ground before aligning their lips together.

He glanced back up at Gold, but he was still the older man's sole focus, and he decided they should clear the air quickly, for everyone's benefit.

Liam brought the two of them up with a flourish before pulling her in tightly. "There! Better?"

With a laugh that lit up his insides with glowing happiness, she nodded, "Much!"

She was pure light and happiness. No one but Liam could compare, which made him the luckiest bastard in all ten realms.

But he was going to be a dead man if he didn't smooth things over with the Dark One.

Casually, he threw his head over his shoulder, "A shower, and then back into that green dress until Apple can bring over something better for her to wear."

Anna turned towards, him, still captured in Liam's arms, but she nodded, knowing he was setting her schedule. "After that, we'll have breakfast and then we'll meet up with Apple and Neal." He lifted his eyes and gave Liam a knowing look, and thankfully, they'd been together long enough, it was understandable.

"Alright, my beautiful, gorgeous, brilliant, humbling, stunning—" Anna laughed, "Adorable, lovely, let's go!"

He watched them leave, knowing Liam wouldn't let her out of his sight for the rest of the day. Of the two of them, Liam worried about her the most.

Turning he indicated the table, and took up what had to have been Anna's seat while Rumplestiltskin took his own at the head of the table.

"Your angry," he began, letting it hang in the air between them.

He watched Mr. Gold mull his words over, before responding. "I have more questions than answers," he stated mildly, but Roland felt the unknown weight behind the words.

Leaning back in his chair, he locked eyes with the Dark One. "Then let's have them, because I'd prefer it if you didn't look at me as if I'm 30 seconds away from being snail slime under your shoe."

Gold, it seemed, had little patience this day. "I'm evaluating your demeanor around my daughter."

That surprised him, and he leaned forward, "What do you mean?"

The older man brushed his hand through the air indicating their earlier interaction, "You more than simply lost your temper yesterday, and today Anna jumped half a food when your bellowing rang through my home. Then you put hands on my child, so be warned that I am more than simply watching you."

The seriousness of Gold's tone was the only thing that kept Roland from giving into the shocked laughter bubbling up in his chest. He shook his head and smiled, "It's good to hear you call her your daughter; Liam and I wondered if you would or not." Then he got back onto the subject at hand, "You're right, I have a tempter, but unlike some, I limit it to inanimate objects and my enemies, which sadly, are numerous when your mother is the Evil Queen and your engaged to the Dark One's daughter. But you have my word of honor, Rumplestiltskin, there are no two safer people in all the realms from my wrath than your daughter and Liam." Then he considered, "Though, you have no reason to trust my word, so I will endeavor to give you no reason to question my honor. Forgive me for worrying, father of my chosen." It was an old world apology, one he knew the Dark One would recognize.

The other man didn't nod, not ready to forgive so easily, but instead sat back into his own chair and considered something hard before speaking, "Tell me about her," then he said hesitantly, "tell me about her limitations."

He nodded, reading between the lines. "What Apple said last night is true, Belle drank heavily while she carried Anna. She'd sequestered herself in this house for seven months before you were able to return to Storybrooke and discovered her pregnancy. By then the damage was done." He shrugged, to him it was simply fact, and he treated it as such. "Anna has many of the typical facial deformities of associated with FAS, small eyes and chin, a thin upper lip, and she was slow in developing, hitting most of her milestones three years behind target. For example, she didn't walk until she was three, or talk until she was nearly five."

Gold seemed to be absorbing things well so he pushed forward. "She suffers from ADHD, and has a lot of trouble with numbers. She's very good spatially and loves to draw and paint. She also loves to sing, dance, buy more dresses than she could ever wear, adores every child she meets, and loves animals so much that you built her a special stable to house her exotic collection—her favorite of which is a dragon she calls Bunny.

"And maybe," he pointed to the cup with the bunny ears for the handle, "you've noticed a pattern." When Gold nodded, he continued. "Anna likes order and repetition. She adheres to a strict schedule that we go over every morning to help reduce her frustration and anxiety. A frustrated or anxious Anna turns into the sobbing mess you witnessed last night, but normally it doesn't come to that." He pointed again at the cup, "She needs things just so, and likes what she likes. Changing her mind is nearly impossible once it's set on something, so don't try. For example, it's not worth arguing with her over pancakes or eggs in the morning, because once she's set on pancakes it'll take 45 minutes to convince her to eat the eggs."

He paused, letting the man digest the information. Upstairs, he heard the water turn on.

"So," Gold began, "last night was," he paused again, "an extreme reaction?"

Roland nodded knowingly, "She can get worked up, but it doesn't happen very often, a few times a year maybe, less now that she's out of her teens. I haven't seen her that bad since she before she got on Dr. Frankenstein's medicine regiment, so maybe since she was 7 or so." He stopped when Gold opened his mouth.

"How old is she?" Then as an afterthought, "Or you, for that matter?"

It was a common question. "She's 21, and I'm 27; Liam's 20." Then he decided to finish off the group, "Neal is 22, and Apple is 18."

A shadow flitted across Gold's face, and Roland watched his hand curl around his cup. "You're six years older than she is, seven more than Liam. According to Anna, you used to watch them both as children."

The accusation hung in the air, silent but deadly, and Roland was having none of it. "I know what you're implying, trust me, you're not the first." And he wasn't, Killian had been much more direct. "Liam and I didn't ask permission to court Anna until she was 19. I can assure you, you had Ursula ripped my mind apart to ferret out any improper thoughts. But while I have always loved Anna, it wasn't until after she turned 19 that I ever considered it more than familial." And he hadn't. Morganna had always acted so young for her age, she was always his kid sister. But over the course of her 18th summer, she matured mentally. He and Liam had taken that summer to travel around Wonderland, and when they'd returned, they'd been shocked to find a much matured Anna. The fact that her maturity of mind had allowed him to see her in a new light had been shocking and uncomfortable. But by Christmas, he and Liam had admitted to their attractions, and decided to seek Rumplestiltskin's blessing.

Remembering the pain of it still set his teeth on edge.

"But apparently you didn't wait as long with Liam."

Roland shook his head, then scoffed. "You have no idea how strange this is to be explaining all of this to you." He sighed, "Liam confessed an attraction to me when he was 15, however, he was still in Storybrooke, living under Earth laws which put him off limits." But not out of his mind. Killian would have been right to have worried about Liam's age, but instead the man had cared only about his gender, which had allowed Roland the moral freedom to keep father and son far apart—at any cost.

"However, his father abused him, and when Liam crossed the portal to the Enchanted Forest, you claimed him under your protection." Roland didn't miss the shock on Gold's face, just ignored it. "Like with Anna, I asked to court Liam when he turned 16 an acceptable age for the Enchanted Forest, and you gave permission as his guardian."

He paused, and then decided to be forthright, "I confess to an early attraction to Liam, but had prepared myself to wait until he was of age before approaching him. His own confession to me was unexpected, and my careless advice to him on the subject of discussing his sexuality with his parents cost him dearly." His mind drifted back to that storming night when he'd torn into Dark Castle at three in the morning to find Liam broken and unconscious by the fire, Rumplestiltskin doing his best to heal his many injuries.

Unprepared and unwilling to discuss things further, he waited, until Gold nodded.

Apparently satisfied with the answers he'd received, he changed the subject. "Tell me about Anna's relationship with Belle."

Unconsciously, his hand curled around the table's edge, his other into a fist. "I can tell you nothing kind about your wife, Mr. Gold. She is a traitor to the crown, and in my opinion, should have been made to suffer as Anna has suffered."

He drew a calming breath, "Belle was forced to cease her drinking when you discovered her pregnancy. My understanding, was that you forced that compliance, but I was too young to remember it. Shortly after Morganna was born, Belle left your home and moved in with Jefferson. She was a pariah around town, but the Hatter found something to love in her, and they carried on an open affair until your divorce was finalized a few years later. I'm sorry to say that she ended up with most of your non-magical belonging." Roland knew he was cutting deeply with his words, as once again, Gold's expression had gone neutral, but he continued, wanting to get the pain over with all at once.

"Anna was endlessly curious about her mother, but all of their interactions ended in tears. Belle was neither patient nor understanding. I remember once throwing her out when I was watching the kids and she came over to give Anna a book and became incensed when Anna couldn't read it." That memory burned brightly in his mind, the weight of the eyes of four children on his back as he'd grabbed the older woman by the arm and thrown her onto the front porch to get her out of the house after she'd refused to leave. The feel of three little bodies pressed tightly against his as he'd rocked a sobbing Anna, and the other children had tried to comfort her. It was a painful, bitter memory that had never left him, and often danced behind his eyes whenever he saw the brunet beauty.

"When Anna was 9, you had the visitation agreement thrown out, and Belle stopped coming by. But Anna was so desperate to see her mother, she would make arrangements to meet Belle at odd times or places. They never ended well, and we always knew when she's snuck out to see her. Then, when the portal opened and we all went back to the Enchanted Forest, Belle and Jefferson went somewhere else—we still don't know where. Belle started working with the Sorcerer, and Jefferson died, that's about all we know."

Gold paled. "Belle and, and that mad man—" he couldn't bear to finish the sentence.

Roland nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gold, truly I am." He paused to consider before continuing, "but if it is any consolation at all, you do find love again, a woman who treats Anna like a treasure, and whom Anna is deeply attached too."

Gold's eyes rose sharply, but he refused to ask and Roland refused to tell him. There were just some things a man had to discover on his own.

* * *

><p>"I need to see her!" Belle was pacing the width of the long room while Emma hovered by the door to keep her from bolting out and searching for Anna.<p>

"That's not a great idea right now, Belle. A lot of people heard that you're pregnant, and apparently the three little pigs running the city dump were more than happy to tell everyone about the contents of your recycling bin." Emma too looked extremely unhappy, and while her past actions broke her heart to think about, she also knew there was hope to undo it all.

"You don't understand, I can fix this, I can fix everything, she told me how!" The headache was getting worse as were the jitters, and she felt like she was losing her mind, which is why she advanced on Emma, and why Jefferson was pulling her back.

"Easy there, rabbit. No sense rushing out to meet the fox just yet. Sit a spell," he pushed on her shoulders and caught his knee under hers causing her to crumple into a high backed overstuffed chair. It was perhaps the most normal piece of furniture in the room, consisting of a pleasant black and white pattern. Everything else looked like the sixties exploded. Jefferson had collected a treasure trove of artifacts that rivaled her husbands!

Rumple. A burning ache filled her chest to bursting. How could something so wrong have felt so right at the time? He'd chosen power and magic over her yet again and this time, it had hurt her too deeply. So she'd done the one thing she'd sworn never to do, but had been doing over and over again, and lifted the dagger and forced him from his home and all he'd ever known. He'd done unforgivable things in his life, but what she had done was far worse, because he'd trusted her. Maybe not in the end, but could she blame him? He'd been a slave to Zelena and it had torn him apart, and she—his wife!—had used that same cursed dagger to strip him of his freedom ever since he'd given it to her. His feelings of betrayal were justified, as was his desire to get out from under the dagger's blinding command. Perhaps he'd gone about it all wrong, people made mistakes, oh how she knew that now.

But she could fix it. Anna—her Anna—had told her how. She just needed to see her, talk to her, explain what they needed to do, and then everything, all of her mistakes, all of them, could be erased!

She just needed to convince the others to let her out, and then she could explain how to get rid of this imposter and bring back her real daughter once and for all!

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm happy with the Belle piece at the end. I think it's important for Belle to get a taste of her own medicine, and doing bad things for what she thinks is the right reasons, will definitely evolve this story in the right direction. Please let me know your thoughts on Anna, it's important to me that I get her right and I'm still struggling with her "voice".<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: Well I got my first demoralizing flame last chapter which has sadly slowed my progress on this one. Most people indicated that they liked where this story was headed, but one person really, really didn't like it, and didn't sign their name so I could contact them for more information. However, an awesome thing happened today, in that Grace5231973 sent me a PM to address the flamer and got my spirits back up. Per her request, I've copied her message at the end of this chapter if you want to read it.

Regardless, I wanted to address a few things here in case anyone else is thinking the same things as my guest flamer:

-I do not hate Marion. I feel bad for her on the show, but for the purposes of this story, and through no fault of her own, the children feel like she has destroyed their lives. Roland harbors some personal hatred for Marion which hasn't been revealed yet. I admit, she's a plot device and not really a character in this story, but that's basically what she is in Once, so I don't feel bad for using her this way.

-The pacing of this story is supposed to mimic the show, with short, impactful scenes that don't always explain everything. That can make the pacing feel rushed—which I think the show does all the time. What's different is that I'm using the character perspective to fill in some history, where as the show would do a flashback.

-Rumple is the good guy of this story, but as Liam will soon explain, that doesn't make him a good guy, just the lesser of certain evils. The children, and especially Anna, see him a certain way because they've grown up with him as Anna's father, and were not privy to all of his past machinations. Liam will have a particular perspective on Rumple which is more in line with our regular Storybrooke characters, but Rumple saved Liam's life, and that's important as to why Liam tolerates him. But there is a reason why Liam had "cold eyes" when looking at Gold in the first chapter, and why he usually calls him "Dark One", so keep reading.

-Belle at her heart is the Belle we know and love, but thanks to the curse, so is Lacey. Lacey was a party girl, who had little care about others and was mostly in it for herself. I think those types of people are inherently weak, and would either ignore, or fall apart when confronted by what Belle has in this story. I am not writing the Belle we know and love, I'm writing a combination of Lacey and Belle, which I think would lead her to make bad decisions, which she's demonstrated by using the dagger against Rumple during the Mirror of Shattered Sight, to get Rumple to take her to the mirror. I think this evolving Belle may fall back into her Lacey mentality to get her through some tough situations the morally righteous Belle can't find a solution for, and that will easily lead her astray of the righteous path.

-Roland, Anna, and Liam are not in a love triangle, they are a family unit and have been together for a little under two years as the story begins. Roland and Liam have been together longer, four years, and pursued Anna to add her to their family unit. This caused a number of issues for a lot of people, both personally and politically, as will be revealed over the course of the story.

-Killian Jones is not the bad guy of this story. I like him, and think he's good with Emma both in this story and the show. He did a terrible thing, for reasons that will be explained, and Emma stayed with him, for reasons that will also become clearer. Parents make mistakes, that's a theme of Once and of this story, but that doesn't make them bad parents, it makes them human. Why Killian nearly killed Liam, and why Emma stayed with him, will reveal itself in this story.

-You are only getting one person's perspective at a time in this story, and just because it's their opinion on a matter, doesn't make it right.

-Lastly, this is a story about putting Rumplestiltskin and Belle back together not as the couple they were before, but stronger for having a better understanding of each other. I personally think that Rumple understands Belle, but Belle doesn't understand Rumple. She thinks he made "bad decisions" but because she hasn't had to make a lot of tough calls that went bad in her life, she can't really understand him. This story is my attempt to let Belle walk in her husband's shoes and gain some perspective that will allow her to live with his flaws and accept them. Because let's face it, Rumple isn't going to change, so Belle has too.

Very long winded, but I hope it clears up some things for people. If you have other questions, please let me know.

* * *

><p>Roland was stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching Liam take Anna by the shoulders outside Granny's Dinner. It didn't escape his attention that Rumplestiltskin was watching the two intently.<p>

"Now, you understand there's going to be a lot of people in there, and they're all here to see you." Anna nodded, rolling her eyes as she did. Liam's overprotectiveness often prevented a disaster, but she seemed to be handling things well since this morning. "Good. And they're going to want to talk to you. Some of them, like Regina and Snow won't remember to help you stay focused."

She sighed, a sure sign she was more frustrated with Liam than the pending introduction. "I remember. You and Roland drilled it into me over breakfast. Can we just go in now so I can see Apple and Bae?"

With a look over her head that clearly showed Liam was expecting the worst, he nodded, releasing her shoulders. "Alright, but you know what to say if you get overwhelmed."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, turning around and walking towards him on the path up to Granny's, "I say, 'I need some air', I do remember things. Stop nagging me."

He smiled down at her, reaching out to take her hand as she got to the stairs. A cheeky Anna was exactly what they needed. He'd been so worried that her isolation would leave her unable to communicate well for a while, but she was quickly bouncing back to her normal routine.

"I'm nagging!" Liam groused behind them as Rumplestitlskin caught up with him.

Anna turned around as he opened the door, "Yep, but you only do it because you love me, so it's OK."

"I do love you," Liam said around a smile, and Roland glanced back as Anna walked under his arm, to see Liam couldn't have been more sincere.

He was surprised then, to see the diner was full, every seat taken even though it was 3pm on a Thursday afternoon. No doubt word had spread quickly about them in the small town, and everyone wanted a glimpse.

There was the royal family, tucked away in a booth with what had to be baby Neal. Emma, Killian and Henry were close by, and he reigned in his temper for Anna's benefit. His mom and father were at a table beside the dartboard, and he could see them staring openly at him. Apple and Bae were there of course, as was Hopper, Frankenstine, Grumpy, and—"

"Well I'll be damned. If it isn't Will Scarlett." He was beaming ear to ear as he approached the wide eyed man, his hand extended. "I'd forgotten that you were in Storybrooke this early in the game."

Looking a little skeptical, Will extended his hand, surprised when Roland took it, only to pull him in for an embrace. Will was a good man, one he was proud to know. But there in lay the rub, he knew Will, but Will didn't know him. The pain of that stung more than he cared to admit, but he weathered it as he did all things.

"Roland." He supplied the struggling man, who looked skeptical.

"Oy, if you're Roland," he thought for a moment, "then tell me the secret I told you to never tell your father."

He couldn't help it, he burst out laughing, unsurprised when Anna sidled up to him at his joy. He laughed, often, but not usually in public, and she and Liam were forever telling him he should do it more. Scooping her under his shoulder he bent down to kiss the top of her head before looking back at Will. "Well let's see, there was the time you told me not to tell him that you "borrowed" the bow that never misses. Or the time you pinched, and then lost, all the gold in the camp and told everyone you found it three days later by the river after winning it back from the gambling house. But if you're looking for what you told me the first time we met, you told me not to tell him that you'd taught me how to curse in Wonderland vernacular."

Will's eyes lit up, and he reached out to clasp his arm. "Well I'll be. You grow up to be a right handsome thing, now doncha. And this one's your's I take it?" He nodded down to Anna.

Nodding he answered, "Will, this is Morganna Lacey Gold, my fiancé."

"Well, well, look at that," Will bent at the waist and lifted Anna's hand to give it a kiss, "You did all right for yourself, Little Mate. I'm quite impressed. Nice to make your acquaintance, Miss."

Anna giggled, "We know each other very well, actually. It's nice to see you again."

"That right," Will said cheekily, "we know each other really well? How well is that?"

"The way you probably don't want her father to know about," Roland said dryly, hooking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Gold.

Will paled, "Oh, well, I'm sure it was all on the up and up."

Anna laughed, "It was very up!"

Thankfully, Will was saved by Apple, who'd worked her way through the crowd to quietly approach them. It showed how well Apple knew her best friend that she did her best not to startle her. "Hi Anna, miss me?"

* * *

><p>There were not enough happy moments in her life. That was Apple's conclusion when Anna turned to look at her and threw her arms around her neck crying, "Apple! I missed you so much!"<p>

At 5'2 Anna was small by anyone's standards, but at Apple's size of 5'11 it was a stretch to lean down and hug her best friend. Maybe not as hard as it was on Roland who was 6'6, but still hard. She smiled up at her brother, who looked happy enough to burst. It was so rare to see Roland truly happy; an expression he wore most often for Anna and Liam, but occasionally for herself and their mom. A moment of sadness hit her that her father was excluded, but she didn't blame anyone for that, things happened in life that couldn't be undone.

"I missed you too!" Then she pulled back to glare down at her best friend, "I was so incredibly pissed at you for that stupid stunt you pulled! Running off to fight the Sorcerer all by yourself and leaving nothing but a vid message! Do you know how hard it was to generate enough electricity at Raven's Keep to even get that tablet to turn on, let alone watch the whole message? You are in big trouble you little brat!"

Anna looked between proud of herself and sorry for the frustration she'd caused her friends. If only she knew. Apple had sobbed uncontrollably for days after hearing Anna's message and realizing they were too late to save her. Her lovers had nearly broken under the weight of losing her. And Rumplestiltskin, he had.

But she wasn't going to dwell on it. Roland had told her over the phone that Anna had been trapped for over 30 years by their best guess, but was doing far better than expected. He even went so far as to say that besides a bit of memory difficulty, and some extreme emotional reactions, she was actually tracking well. And if she was teasing Will about their infamous one night stand, then Anna was a thousand times better than she'd expected of her best friend.

"But who cares about that right now!" Apple continued, "We have so much to talk about! There's still my wedding to plan, and I put everything on hold. I wasn't going to do anything until we could do it together." As she spoke, she pulled Anna over towards a table in the center of the room, appropriately cleared by Neal earlier. "We still have to grow the flowers ourselves, you said you wanted to work with Auntie Mel to do that, so that means we're still looking at Spring, which is good. And then there's the dress, thankfully all the gold thread has been spun by your dad, but we still have to track down a good seamstress to pull it all together."

Anna sat down with little grace, and dropped her chin into her upturned hand, "I think the last time I'd heard of her she was in Halloween Town. Sally is her name, I think."

She nodded, having forgotten, "That's right! We need to track her down right away because she has a lot of work to do on my dress, not to mention yours!" Reaching across the table, she covered Anna's other hand, "And then we have your wedding to plan next! Did you do any sketches while you were waiting for us to—"

She stopped mid-sentence, horrified by what she'd almost said, and the rest of the room seemed to wait with baited breath as well. But just like her, Anna was unphased.

Nodding, she lifted up her head so she could talk animatedly with her free hand. "Yes, I decided that my dress should be white with green and gold. Roland will wear Liam's colors of blue, and that way, my ring will have a center diamond with two blue sapphires on either side. Don't you think that will be pretty? And you'd look absolutely stunning in green—well you look beautiful in all the colors, but I like you in green—so I was thinking your dress could be green with gold thread. Papa will have to spin more for us, but I think that'll be alright." She turned back to face her father before she could see the Apple's fallen expression. A quick glance at her brother confirmed he hadn't told Anna about her father, and she chose to keep that secret from her friend until the time was right. "That's alright, isn't it Papa? You don't mind spinning some more so Apple's dress can have gold in it? I drew the prettiest pictures of exactly what I wanted," Anna turned back around and Apple schooled her features into a grin, "But I got really sad one day and burned them all." Sadness bloomed across her face for a moment, and then it transformed into an elated grin, "But that just means I get to draw new ones!"

She turned in her seat, her eyes scanning the room until she found Liam standing next to Henry who'd moved away from Emma and Killian, "Liam, before we go home, can we get my art supplies. I checked but there weren't any in my desk at home, and I need them to draw my dress. Oh and in case I have a vision. I hate getting headaches when my visions happen. And because I got bored after I put on my shoes and you were still whispering with Roland about me in the hallway—you know I can hear you in the hallway right? But I wouldn't be listening if I had my paints, so let's get paints too."

"I have some drawing stuff you could have, Aunt Anna," Henry offered, and the room watched his first interactions with his only aunt. "I think I have some colored pencils and some paints at Emma's."

* * *

><p>Anna smiled brightly, "That's so nice of you! I bet you have the best colors. You look like you'd have the very best colors!" She stood from her place at the table, and Regina watched as Anna approached her son. When the young woman stood before him, even height, she reached out her hand, "I'm Anna, Morganna Lacey Gold, Roland's fiancé, and a lot of other titles that are too boring to mention. What's your name?"<p>

Sadness flickered over Henry's face, and Regina noticed that Liam saw it when he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. It was Liam that spoke, "Sweetheart, remember, this is the past."

"Oh I remember," Anna said, waving a hand dismissively in a gesture so much like her father, "But I still don't know who this is." She leaned forward, "And he's so handsome and rescued me from having to go track down paint, that I think I should like to know his name." She giggled, "Maybe I'll even spin a little for you, would you like that?"

Henry looked up at Liam questioningly, but this time spoke for himself. "I think so. I mean, you spin a person's fate right? So you could spin something really great to happen to me."

Anna clapped her hands and spun in a circle, "That's exactly right! Oh you are a smart one. Handsome and smart! You remind me of Henry. He's my nephew. My brother Bae's son. My brother died before I met him, but Henry is the best nephew I could ever ask for! He's smart, and handsome, just like you, and brave, and caring, and every time he visits me, he always brings me a box of caramels because he knows how much I love them, and we always sit together in the gardens and eat half the box with Liam, and then Roland eats the other half when he gets home." She giggled again. "He eats everything! He's always hungry because he's the Captain of the Guard at Raven Keep, and has to yell a lot and that makes him hungry. I have to cook all day just so he has enough to eat when he gets home," she laughed and turned to face Roland who was smiling contently against the counter, "Isn't that right?"

Her son nodded, and Regina felt her heart clench with joy at the thought of this powerful, loving man, being her son. "Sometimes all day. I'm the luckiest man in all ten realms."

Anna spun back towards Henry, "He is too, Liam tells him that all the time, and I believe Liam." She put a finger to her cheek, "But now you know everything and I still don't know your name. That won't do."

Ever the gentleman, Henry extended his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Aunt Anna, I'm Henry Mills, your nephew."

A shadow fell over Anna's face and she took a step back from a confused Henry. "N-No, y-your not Henry." She shook her head as Liam took a step towards her, but she backed away, her hands suddenly up before her, "No. Henry is older, and he has a beard—"

"Anna, it's alright," Liam tried, but Anna continued to back away.

"No! Tell him, Liam," she pointed accusingly at Henry. "Tell him he's a liar! Henry has a beard like your dad, and it's scratchy every time he kisses my cheek! He's a liar!" She looked around Liam to hurl at Henry, "You're a liar!"

Roland was away from the counter, and Liam had managed to take Anna's trembling hand, but it was Neal that caught her attention. "No, no, Little Sister," he addressed Anna, "Remember, this is the past, just like Liam said, and Henry's younger here. It's alright, he's younger here, that's all. This is Henry, that's why he's calling you Aunt Anna."

The calm way Neal spoke to Anna, spoke volumes about his patience as well as his caring for the young woman he called 'Little Sister', and Regina remembered then, that Anna had called him, 'Bae' last night, and not 'Neal'.

Anna turned to look at Neal, confused now as the hand not held by Liam was playing with her knee length dark red hair. "He's Henry," she asked, "My Henry?"

Neal nodded, smiling now. "Yep. And this time, when he kisses you, no whisker burns on your cheek."

Anna looked up quizzically at her lover who nodded, and Regina noted that Roland had stopped half way across the room, merely watching the scene unfold, giving Anna space to work through it.

"So," she looked over at Henry, "So your my brother's son, only younger?"

Henry nodded, unsure, "Yeah, I'm Neal's son, Henry."

Thoroughly confused now, Anna looked up at Neal, "You have a son?"

Apple burst out laughing and rose from her chair, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. "He damn well better not or the wedding's off!" Marching past her brother, she shooed Liam out of the way, and put a guiding hand on Anna's back and led her forward until she was standing before Henry. "Anna, this is my brother Henry. Henry, my best friend, Anna Gold. Oh yeah, and he's your nephew."

Anna's face contorted from dark confusion to pure joy as she was finally able to identify the person before her. "HENRY!" She cried happily, throwing her arms around him and spinning him in twirling hug. "Henry! Henry! Henry! I didn't recognize you! You're so small!" She laughed, looking over her shoulder, "Liam, it's Henry!"

The young man laughed, a happy sound, "It sure is! Where the hell did he come from?"

Neal scoffed and suddenly grabbed Liam in a headlock before ruffling his perfect hair, "You're an idiot!"

They wrestled for a moment as Apple skittered out of the way and Anna continued to hug Henry and talk at him a mile a minute. A few seconds later, Liam broke out of the hold and shoved his uncle good naturedly, "Who are you calling an idiot? You didn't get any farther than I did!"

"You're both idiots!" Her daughter said, walking up to Liam and smacking him up the back side of his head before walking over to Neal, who's shoulder she bit playfully before he tucked her under it, "Of course you're going to confuse her with your twenty-seven names." She turned to Roland who was watching them and smiling, "Stop hitting Neal in the head so hard during practice, you're killing too many brain cells."

For his part, Liam dropped his head and shoulders and shuffled towards Roland, sniffling, "She hit me. Your little sister hit me." Roland's smile exploded, and he gathered his lover in his arms kissed the top of his head, his hand massaging the spot Apple had struck. Throwing his arm backwards, Liam pointed in Apple's general direction, "I demand retribution."

Neal sighed, "You mean, 'restitution'."

"Yeah," Liam said, his voice muffled by Roland's sweater, "That. Get me that."

Roland laughed, a sound that transformed him from stoic to jovial in an instant, "I'm not doing anything if you can't even pronounce it right."

"Fine," Liam pouted, and broke away from Roland until he'd shuffled his way to stand in front of Regina. The fact he'd singled her out, shocked her, as did his arm suddenly around her shoulders, as he pointed at Roland, "He's being mean to me, mom, turn him into something I can throw in my pocket."

Anna burst out laughing, drawing every eye in the room, "Is that a Roland in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

Apple then cracked up as well, "You moron, it's 'roll of quarters' not 'Roland'."

"I like mine better!" Anna cried, wrapping both of her arms around Henry's shoulders from the side, and resting her head on his shoulder.

Apple rolled her eyes as Liam chuckled and gave her a squeeze, "How is it, you miss half the things around you, but catch every sexual innuendo in every room you're in?"

Anna shrugged, "I like sex. Maybe because Roland's so good at it. And Liam always says stuff like that, so I have to be quick or I'll miss it!"

"Ugh," Apple cried, covering her ears, as the rest of the room stood shocked at Anna's frankness, "I don't need to hear about my brother's bedroom prowess."

"Oh come on!" Liam said, giving Regina a final squeeze and a wink before walking over to tease his friend, "I could catalogue them for you if you'd like."

"Don't you dare, Liam David Jones! Do it and I'll tell Henry all about how his prized horse got out of the stables and into the tower! You wouldn't want that, now would you!"

Liam shrugged before his expression turned predatory, "Henry won't have a prized horse for another ten years, but you'll have to live with the imagery for the rest of your life, Danny Apple."

"Ooo! Stop calling me that, Dandy Boy!"

Anna giggled as the two of them began to verbally spar, though a few specks of magic danced in the air between them. "They're like that all the time. Papa says, if they weren't your brother and sister, they'd have killed each other a long time ago. But don't worry, Henry. Liam and Apple and I are bestest, best friends. They won't hurt each other for real. Come on! Let's get a milkshake and an iced tea. Iced teas are my mother's favorite. I hate them, but I drink them anyway because she always nods when I order one, and I like it when she's nice to me."

The room went quiet again, and Liam and Apple stood together with pained expressions on their face as Anna led Henry by the hand to the counter to order. "Granny," she addressed the widow, "may I please order a snack for Henry and I?" At Granny's nod, she continued, "I would like a strawberry milkshake for myself, and Henry wants a vanilla one with chocolate syrup and cherries. And may I please have an iced tea, but only if my mother arrives, otherwise, I just want the milkshake, please. Is that OK, Granny? Usually you know about the iced tea, but Liam said I have to remind people of my routine."

Granny nodded, a soft, pained smile in her eyes, "No problem, you two just take a seat and I'll bring 'em out."

"Thank you, Granny!" Anna then took Henry's hand and drug him back across the silent room to the booth his grandparents were sitting in with baby Neal.

"Can we sit with you, your majesties?"

"Oh! Of course you can, Anna!" Snow smiled nervously, sliding in closer to the window and Neal, who was in his carrier on the table.

"He's so cute! Isn't he cute, Henry? You're Uncle Neal was so adorable. Now he's handsome, because men don't like to be called adorable—trust me—but at this age, I just think he's darling." She looked up at Snow hopefully, "Can I hold him?"

Neal walked over to ease his mother's immediate look of concern. "'Course you can." Then to his worried mother, "She's great with kids."

Anna nodded happily, "I am! I love children. When Roland, Liam and I go into the village, all the children want to play with us." She held out her arms expectantly, and though she looked trapped, Snow obliged her son, and reached into the carrier to lift Neal into Anna's waiting arms.

Immediately, the baby began to coo, as did Anna, "Oh, you're so adorable! Look how handsome you are. You're such a good little boy, aren't you? Yes, such a good little thing." She looked over at Snow, smiling, the look easing the tension around Snow's green eyes. "He's absolutely wonderful!"

Turning her head, she looked at Liam who'd tucked himself back under Roland's arm while the two of them gazed adoringly at her, "We need to make cute babies like this Liam." Then she looked back at the boy in her arms, who's tiny baby hands were reaching for her, and she gave him her finger to hold onto. "Yes, just like you. Six little ones, just as wonderful and perfect as you are. They'll all be strong like Roland and warm and kind like Liam. And they'll be smart too. Much smarter than their mommy. They'll be smart like their Grandfather, but much nicer, because Papa can sometimes be mean if he doesn't love someone, but all of my little ones will love everyone!" She continued on, cooing at the babe until he was giggling and gurgling in such joy that Henry leaned over the table to watch and even Snow was impressed.

David chuckled, "You're great with him, Anna."

She laughed, "I know!" Then looked up at David and smiled, "He's so cute! What's his name?"

David's face fell immediately, but Regina noticed that those that knew Anna best, were unphased by her question.

"His name's Neal, Sweetheart," Roland supplied, preventing Liam from walking over to her, "Remember?"

"Oh! Yes, I remember, I just forgot for a moment. He's lovely, absolutely lovely."

From behind her, Robin scoffed loudly, and she turned in his direction. He'd been sullen and disturbed since his return, giving her only hints at what had happened during the five days he had traveled with their son and Liam. From what she'd learned, it had left Robin shaken to his core.

Though, she couldn't deny his next words, however much she wished he'd found a better way to say it to their caustic son. "This is the woman you chose to marry? She's a child herself and you're bedding her? What's wrong with you?"

* * *

><p>His son released his lover and took a menacing step in his direction, his hand reaching for empty air where his sword should be. The action only fanned the flames burning in him, since he'd opened the bedroom door to find an arrow pointed at his heart and cold eyes staring back at him.<p>

"You will mind your words around my family, father."

Father. That title stung bitterly as it rolled with contempt off Roland's tongue. "Then let's step outside, where my words won't reach them."

He watched as Roland dismissed him, "I'm not interested in what you have to say."

"Roland," Regina tried, and he watched his son turn his eyes on her with such adoration he felt like it broke something in him that could never be repaired.

"This doesn't concern you, Regina," he took a step around her, placing himself between them, "It's between my son and I."

"Dad, don't—"

"Leave it, Apple," Roland told her without looking at her pain filled face. To him, he took another step forward, "There is little between us but words, Father, but if you want me to silence even that, then I accept your invitation."

"No." Roland's head turned like a whipcrack at Anna's strong voice. She had handed the babe to Snow, and was standing next to the booth, her posture straight, and her features fierce. Gone were the traces of innocence, replaced instead by the strength of a woman. Her eyes moved from his to Roland's and held. "You are not fighting your father. I forbid it, Roland." There was power behind her words, and the presence of it startled him to hear.

The effect was immediate. Roland's hands fell to his sides, and his posture relaxed, "Easy, Sweetheart, I wasn't going to hurt him."

She turned her head away from him in disgust, "Yes you were. You would have gladly, and I have forbidden it. You are entitled to however you feel, but you will not break Apple's heart along the way."

His son flinched before he lifted his eyes to stare at Apple. He did as well, and his heart broke at the sight. Her large, expressive, blue eyes were flooded with tears, her hands folded under her breast as if in prayer. A single blink caused the tears to roll down her cheeks, and he felt as he always did to see his son cry, as if someone had sucker punched him, now somehow worse that the tears belonged to his daughter.

"Apple—" Roland tried, but she turned away from him and swiped angrily at her tears.

"Why don't you just run him through and be done with it! You won't be satisfied until that happens, so just do it! It's not like everything won't reset by the time we fix this mess, so just do it Roland! Kill him and be done with it!" Anna moved immediately to her friend's side, and he was surprised to see Liam issue Roland a holding glare before he too walked past to comfort their friend.

A glance at Neal, surprised him, the young man seemed firmly on Roland's side and offered a nod in comradery rather than moving to comfort his fiancé.

"No one's killing anyone, Luv, Roland is being a dramatic ass. Come on now, sit down before you fall down."

"No! Roland's wanted to do it for decades!" Tear stained, Apple muscled her way around Liam to glare deathly at her brother. "You think it'll make you feel better, that somehow that'll fix our screwed up childhoods, which were soooo terrible with a mother that adored us, then do it Roland, just do it!"

Roland's shoulders fell in defeat as he moved to his sister's side weathering glares from his lovers and a halfhearted attempt by Apple to push him away, before he managed to pull her into a tight hug. Broken, Apple said, "He tried to fix it, Roland, he does try, can't you just see that and give him some credit."

"Maybe," Roland conceded, "But it will never enough."

And he lost it, rage and horror flooded him, at the very idea he had turned into a terrible father. His boy was his life, he would have done anything for Roland, anything! The need to know where it had all gone wrong, drove him to bursting. "What?! What could I have possibly done to make my son hate me so, that my death is the only thing that will satisfy him?! What?"

Roland's cold and bitter eyes were filled with contempt as he locked their gaze, and the weight of his son's words struck him as none could, "You left. You abandoned us. And you made Regina cry. That was enough. It was more than enough to ensure that nothing you could ever do could undo it."

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><p>Author's Note: Per Grace5231973 request, here's her PM to me.<p>

I noticed that you got a bad review from a cowardly poster who posted anonymously so they won't get reported. Obviously this person can't read or they would know that Hook and Emma eschewed the time line causing, like in Back to the Future 2, a nightmare of a timeline. They also don't seem to grasp that the sorcerer did this on purpose to destroy Rumple, Regina, Belle, Emma, the kids, etc! I know that Rumple screwed up but Belle messed up as well. She believes he doesn't love her based on a gauntlet and ignored the part where he said that a person's weakness is almost always their true love. I think what she did was rash and not exactly the best decision she could make even though at the time, it was the only decision she could make. I applaud you and other writers who understand this and want to bring this wonderful couple back together on equal footing with both acknowledging their mistakes and working together to make their marriage work! This troll is one of the worst sort of fans who tear down a writer instead of offering constructive criticism that would help you. Please ignore this person! He/She is a coward and not worth your time! Please continue this wonderful story. I keep checking my e-mail every night for an update as I am sure your other readers do as well! I think I can speak for your readers when I say we want to see where you take this! You have talent and I think it would be a shame to let one reviewer to ruin it for everybody! He/She does not speak for the Rumbelle fandom! I also wanted to let you know that LadyGisborne15 is writing a petition to get rid of trolls like this asshole! Please pm her and join this fight with us who just want to make it a safe and happy place to write and read fanfiction! I also would ask that you copy and paste this review into your next chapter because this jerk needs to know that their bullying is not tolerated! Again, I am sorry you had to read that! Please don't let this bully win!


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Thank you to the many wonderful reviews who reviewed and messaged me privately to encourage me to continue this story. Your words me a lot to me, thank you so very much.

I'm really proud of this chapter as I think it really captures the intensity, and madness I was searching to create. Enjoy!

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><p>"I-I would never, ever abandon my family." Regina's hand had found its way to her throat as she watched the scene unfold before her. Roland and Apple, were standing ten feet from their father, accusing him of abandoning them as children, and abandoning her. It seemed so out of character to the man she'd come to love, but she'd been fooled before, and she found herself taking a step away from him, a movement that drew his attention immediately. "Regina," he started, unshielded pain on his features, "I couldn't—"<p>

"You did," Roland proclaimed, drawing her attention to her huddling children. It all felt so impossible. Her sheer joy at knowing that someday she'd get her happy ending, complete with three children, and a daughter of her very own—one that didn't hate her, but loved her and spoke to her with such warmth—it had seemed almost impossible to fathom, and apparently it was.

"Why," Robin asked, swinging back to face his children. "Why would I do that? There must have been a reason!"

"What reason," Roland asked as Apple wiped away tears, "could ever be good enough? If I said you went to save the world, would that somehow absolve you of your guilt, somehow make our lives better?"

Her feet moved before she gave the command, and when Robin reached for her, she pulled her arm back as she walked past, right up to her two youngest children. "Tell me why he left us."

"Oh mom," Apple said softly, stepping away from her brother to wrap her arms around Regina's neck. But it was Roland that answered, as she knew it would be.

His hand settled on her shoulder, but slid down to softly cuff her arm supportively. "He heard tale that Marion was alive a few months before Apple was born. His obsession tore our family apart until only weeks after Apple was born, he found a single use portal back to the Enchanted Forest." Roland's eyes grew dark and dangerous as he looked at his father. "He abandoned us in the name of finding my real "mother" when I had a mother all along."

Roland's face dropped back to her own, and she struggled at his look when he saw the tears in her eyes. Finally he couldn't take it anymore, and pulled both she and Apple in against his solid chest. "You," Roland said, his chin grazing the top of her head as he talked, "were always the only mother I ever needed. The fact he couldn't understand that, just shows how little he deserved you in the first place."

Apple sniffled and pulled back, wanting to add some reason to this one sided issue. "That's not fair, Roland. If you're going to tell it, you have to tell the whole story." She turned to her father, stepping away from them so she could look at him directly. "You did come back. You would have come back sooner, but there was no way to return. But by the time you did, I was 4 and Roland was 12. You'd missed so much, and Roland," she paused to glance at her brother, "Roland hated you for leaving us. But it only got worse.

"You found out that Marion died on mom's gallows. It tore at you, it," she wiped again at her leaking tears, and Regina watched as Anna walked past her lover to comfort her friend with a gentle hand and tears in her eyes. "Nothing was the same," Apple continued, "You were so angry when you got back. You accused mom of knowing she'd had Marion killed, which was crazy, mom used to have everyone killed!" Apple's throat caught a sob, and Regina felt her heart shatter. "You and mom would fight constantly. Roland used to take any babysitting job he could so we didn't have to be in the house when you got home. We spent so much time at Anna's house or on the Jolly Roger, we practically lived there full time."

Roland picked up the tale, "The five of us," he indicated the out of time children of their future, "became a family when you decided a dream was more important than your real family. I listened to mom cry every night, watched you bully her for things she couldn't change in the past. You broke our family, you tore it apart."

"But you tried to fix it," Apple interrupted, compelled to take a step towards her father. "You and mom finally separated and—"

"And you tore our family apart again!" Roland's temper was boiling over. His face was flushed with anger, his fists clenched and his eyes danced with a desire to deliver retribution. "You ripped me from the only mother I had, tore me away from my sister, and moved me into the god damned woods!"

Wordlessly, Liam and Anna converged on their lover. They took each of his hands, Anna on his left, Liam on his right, and it was as if their very touch leached the pain and rage from his bones. His hard shaking muscles relaxed, his enraged eyes looked away from his father's to Liam's, and they held for only a moment before Roland was lifting his arms and sheltering both of them—though it seemed, they were offering more respite than he was to them.

Apple's soft voice continued, "Roland ran away. If it hadn't been for Killian and Emma taking Roland in, who knows what would have happened. But eventually, mom convinced you that Roland needed to stay with her—"

Robin's voice was pained, and spoken as a last effort of self-defense against a reality he was begining to understand, he'd created himself. "She, Regina, turned my son against me."

"You bastard!" Roland's body tensed and he moved to lunge at his father, but Liam was faster, stepping in front of him to block his path as Anna clutched at his hand.

Liam's voice was strong, and broached no arguments. "No. Not one time, never, did Regina ever issue a disparaging word against you. She felt just as responsible for the demise of her family having been the one to imprison Marion in the first place. She encouraged Roland to visit you, even making him go on trips with you. Anything and everything so he'd spend more time with you. Hopper had some fancy word for Roland's stubbornness, but it doesn't much matter." Liam turned to face Robin, "Apple's right, you did try, and so did Regina, but sometimes the damage done can't be undone. You left a child, broke him, and something like that never heals. Trust me," he said, looking back at Roland, "some betrayals can never be forgiven."

The room dropped into silence, stunned by the revelations described by their future children.

In her chest, Regina felt her hopes and dreams of a happy home and a loving husband shatter. There was solace in the fact that she had three, beautiful and happy children, but still the ache in her chest grew. That is, until Robin stated the most obviously overlooked piece of the entire puzzle.

"But I knew," he said, drawing the eyes of the room, both sympathetic and caustic, "I knew it was Regina's gallows that Marion was condemned too. Even if I thought she might somehow be alive, that doesn't explain why I would hold Regina responsible after having already accepted that truth and still chosen to be with her."

He spoke as he took the ten steps, "I am more aware of Regina's faults that most, and still I chose to love her." His hand reached for hers, and she gave it, because she loved him, and because she wanted his words to be real—she could admit that to herself. "I am more in love with her than any woman I have ever known. Only the love for my son," he looked up and Roland and then Apple, "and now my daughter, could ever rival what I feel for you." He took her other hand. "Leaving Storybrooke, going with Marion," he paused, "I feel guilty saying it, but not a day passed I didn't long for you, Regina. I made the impossible decision to go with Marion, but my heart stayed here with you."

The skeptical part of her mind reminded her that pretty words were only pretty until actions turned them to acid. But no one's words could sooth her heart like Robin's could. The sincerity in his eyes, the knowledge that such an admission hurt him to say against Marion, gave her hope that it was real, that it could last. And so she folded, the great Evil Queen, terror of the Enchanted Forest, allowed her genteel outlaw to enfold her in his embrace, and she breathed in the forest from his skin, and fell in love all over again.

"I told you," the room turned to look at Anna who was smiling softly at the embracing couple.

"Told us what," Apple asked.

Anna shrugged, "I told you the Sorcerer figured out my plan."

Neal stepped forward as Roland turned to face her. Neal's voice was earnest, "What do you mean, Anna? You haven't told us anything about the Sorcerer."

She sighed, "Yes I did! I told my mother. Didn't I, Papa?" She turned to scan the room for him, "Papa?"

But Rumplestiltskin was gone.

* * *

><p>There was a sound magic made on the air that Belle had come to recognize. It sort of popped into existence and swirled around, like a child twirling, though usually not as joyful. This was no exception, as her husband appeared in the foyer and she rose from her place on the lounger by the window.<p>

Judging his moods had been a game to her while she'd been his slave, something to amuse herself during the endless work of being the sole caretaker of such a large estate, but in Storybrooke he had fewer moods, though each one was more intense then the last. The most dangerous was the one she saw before her now, when he wore an expression of rage so pure it pulled his lips back in a snarl and his eyes danced with death.

It was an expression, Belle thought would never be directed at her, and her hand moved protectively to cover the growing child in her belly.

If it was possible, his look seemed to intensify and diminish in equal measures that contorted his face with pain. It was a look that broke her heart, and despite the danger, she took a step towards him, "Rumple—"

"You made a grave mistake coming here, Belle." His words were dark and deadly, but his voice was soft and radiated a throbbing agony.

She shook her head, "I had to see you; I had to explain."

"Explain," he said, turning away from her in disgust, "I can see quite clearly your explanation. I have spent the last several hours with her in fact, and your explanation," he bit the word at her, "is unnecessary. I have seen the damage you are capable of causing, Dearie."

Not 'wife' or 'sweetheart', no term of endearment as so often rolled off his tongue as he danced his scheming dance to keep her in the dark. Now he used his most contemptuous word on her, and it stung more than all the others.

But his words were also truthful, and as her fingers flexed protectively, and his eyes watched with a broken longing, she gathered her courage and took a step towards him. "I-I made a terrible, unforgivable mistake." She shook her head, trying to shake her thoughts into place in such a way that he would listen to her. "There-there can be no forgiveness for what I did, what I nearly did to our child." Confusion passed over his face, but she pushed on, "But I can fix it!"

Taking another step and then another, she moved to the archway. "In that room, I spoke to her, Anna, our daughter—our real daughter. She told me how to fix things. She," her voice broke and tears gathered in her eyes at the memory, "she told me that the Sorcerer had figured out her plan and bested her, that the life those children remember wasn't their real lives. He did something, changed something, and now everything is wrong."

Frustration had her tugging at her hair, a nervous habit she'd picked up after spending two decades in a mental facility. "Our daughter, our real daughter, told me that she grew up in a happy home, our home Rumple, with both of her parents. We raised her together, loving and kind, and she was so beautiful, Rumple." Her mind flashed back to the ethereal beauty she'd seen before the spell had fallen. "She was tall, with long sharp features that made her look like one from the legendary elven race. She looked perfect not," her mind struggled, "not broken, not deformed!"

She turned away, tugging at her hair again, "She was beautiful, and perfect, well-spoken and brave. She was everything this imposter isn't! Don't you see Rumple," she turned back towards him and advanced until she was directly in front of him. "I did this, I made that horrifying mockery of our real daughter, but we can fix it. We can fix my mistake and bring back our real daughter. We can be happy, we can be a family. We just have to fix this. And you want that don't you? I'm not the only one who's missed the other. Tell me that at least, tell me you've missed me too. Tell me you love me, that you forgive me for using the dagger against you. Here!"

She rushed back to the couch and riffled through her purse. But the bag was large, and in frustration, she tipped it out onto the coffee table, until the dagger, wrapped in a red scarf, became visible and she grabbed it before rushing back to him. "Here, Rumple, take it. I never wanted it in the first place. I never wanted to control you, just love you. Take it. Take it!"

But his eyes had left her, and she was startled when he stepped around her and walked to the coffee table. "Rumple?"

He bent at the waist, his long fingers, warm fingers that had so often smoothed her own from her tangled hair, brushed aside her makeup bag, and plucked the nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels from the mess.

Holding it as if it were a snake, he turned his empty eyes at her.

She waved it away. "It doesn't matter—"

"Doesn't matter?" he repeated incredulously, turning fully to stare at her as if she'd gone mad.

"No, it doesn't." She continued, growing frustrated. "I've already ruined her. But she just has to be born, no matter how deformed. She's the product of true love, our true love, Rumple. Once she's born, those children will use her to go back in time and stop Emma and Killian from going back in time and then everything will right itself. You see, I told you, I know how to fix this!"

Taking a step forward she smiled at him. "We can have a second chance, we can start over. You and I, and when Anna is born, she'll be so perfect, so happy. She's already told me so, Rumple. So this child," she indicated her curved belly, and watched his eyes drop to it as well, "it doesn't matter. We need it to cast the time spell that's all. She won't even exist after it's done." She was before him now, her hand reaching out and taking his, "We can fix this together. Always together, Rumplestiltskin. I love you. I will always love you. We can be happy, tell me you see that, tell me you understand."

She was surprised to see an expression she had never seen on his face, and she struggled to figure out what it could mean for the full five seconds he stared at her with it. Then he took his hand from hers and rounding her, moved into the foyer before opening the door.

His voice was colder than she'd ever heard it. "I give you this one opportunity, Belle, for all that has passed between us," his eyes hardened even more, "Get out."

Panic coursed through her blood, "No! No Rumple, you have to listen to me!" She rushed forward, gripping the hand that wasn't holding the door, "Please you have to listen to me, we can fix this. I love you!"

He snapped his hand from hers, and once again, she heard magic though didn't see it. "The very idea that our daughter is anything less than perfect is an insult worthy of death for anyone that might speak it. The fact that the one who's actions have led to her condition, has the audacity to speak such words, deserves far worse than mere death."

Shaking her head, she felt her sudden tears fall. "Please Rumple, if you'd only seen her, the real Anna, you wouldn't say such things. You be working to help me. This thing," she pointed to her belly, "has to be born, but only as a means to gaining our real daughter. You have to believe me, you have to trust me."

"Trust you!" Rage caused his voice to rise louder than she'd ever heard it, and she would have backed away, but he caught her arm in a bruising grip and shook her violently until she cried out. "Trust you! I can barely look at you! How can you not see what you have done?"

A sob caught in her throat, "I know! I know I made a mistake! But I can't fix this now. Don't you understand, the only way to fix this is to cast the spell and stop Emma and Killian from ever going back in time in the first place. Rumple, we can fix this."

"To what end? So we can have our perfect child? A child not destroyed by your hatred for me? And what of us, are we supposed to pretend this betrayal never happened, that you are the perfect mother?"

"I will be! Anna's already told me that I am. And you, you're a perfect father, not caught up in power games. Being a father changes you, Rumple, it makes you a better man."

"Yes it does," he said with a finality that shocked her, "It has made me recall the lengths that I will go to to protect my child." He released her with a jerk, so she stumbled back a step. "I will protect her with my dying breath, from anyone who seeks to harm her. Anna, our Anna, the one you carry now, is my daughter, beautiful, and perfect in her own way, and it is this daughter, the one I can hold in my arms, that I will protect, even if I have to protect her from her own mother."

"Rumple—"

"Papa?" They turned to see Anna at the bottom of the porch stairs, a furious Roland and Liam flanking her. She looked so small and frightened between them, so pathetic and weak, not strong and brave, like their real daughter.

"Anna," Rumple began with sorrow and pain on his face, but Belle interrupted him.

"I'm sorry, Anna." Doe eyes turned to her with a look of hopeful longing that it tugged at her heart. "What I've done to you is unforgivable. I know that. But even if your Papa doesn't understand, know that I will do everything I can to give you your best chance. You're my daughter, and I love you, and because of that, I will make sure that you have the best life I could possibly give you." She glanced at Rumple before crossing the threshold and then the porch steps.

But as she passed, she made sure Anna knew how much she truly loved her, "No matter how much it costs all of us."


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh my god, is she OK? What did that bitch say to her?"

Neal stood beside Apple, as she spoke to her brother on the phone. They were all still gathered at the diner, waiting for word that the others had found Rumplestiltskin. He'd chosen to conveniently place himself between Robin and his fiancé, unconvinced by the man's pretty words to Regina. However, the fact he knew that it was Regina that had condemned Marion to death was startling, and his mind was working furiously to try and work out what it could mean.

However, right now, he was more concerned about Anna. "What's going on?"

Apple covered the mouth piece as Roland continued to talk on the other end, "They found Gold at his house, but Belle was there. Anna heard her say all kinds of stuff, and now," she paused listening to Roland as Neal felt his blood begin to boil. "Now she's resting with Liam."

He offered a nod before leaning against an unoccupied table, the table Apple and Anna should have reunited across. Sometimes life wasn't fair.

"OK, I'll tell him. And don't worry about me, I've got Neal here to protect me," she rolled her eyes, "as if my magic isn't enough. Give me some credit." She paused to listen to him, "Maybe, but I can still kick your butt with it, so call me back and let me know how they're doing. OK, I love you too. Bye Roland, love you."

She clicked off the phone and tucked it into her pocket with a sigh, but he'd picked up on something she'd said and needed answers. "What's wrong with them? You said to tell you how "they" were doing, is it Gold or Liam." Fear embraced his heart, Liam was like a little brother to him, and he'd seen the wariness in his face when he'd entered the diner and seen his parents.

Apple glanced towards his sister and her husband, and he knew it was Liam. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said earnestly, holding out her hands, "you know Roland, he's just worried. He made Liam call in a pocket and they're resting. He's going to join them after he talks to Gold, who apparently, has finally seen the light about Belle."

"What about Belle," his mom asked, rising from the booth and handing his baby self off to his father. She returned Apple's heated gaze with a calm one of her own. "I can completely understand why Belle's drinking is unforgivable to you, both of you," she indicated the two of them. "But Gold has a way of doing things he regrets later, and you don't know the whole story between them—"

"Oh I think we do," Apple began, but he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going further.

"It's complicated mom, but trust me, we know most of it."

His mother shook her head, and it reminded him so much of better times, when his patient and loving mother would talk with him for hours about his future responsibilities to the kingdom, to his people; a lesson he'd taken to heart and always would. "Maybe, but you can't know everything that happens in a marriage, the ups and downs, and Gold well—"

"Has a propensity for killing his wives." Killian had been quiet so far, but his voice still raked against Neal's mind like nails on a chalk board. He'd agreed to keep the peace and remain a neutral party between Liam and his family in public, but in private, there had been no contest regarding whose side he'd been on, or how much contempt he held for his sister.

Apple on the other hand, had taken no such vow. "Ugh, why are you even here! You and Emma, no one needs or wants you here! Why don't you go roll around in your little love boat. Just looking at you makes me want to kill something!"

"Right," Killian said, not knowing Apple well enough to understand she was deathly serious, "because Emma and I saved Marion's life and broke time."

"No, you pathetic excuse for a human being," Apple growled, magic sparking instantly from her fingertips as the room fell silent, "because you nearly killed one of my best friends. I can forgive you for not understanding how time travel works, after all, you're a moron, but I will never forgive you for what you did to Liam."

Hook threw up his good hand and spun to face Emma before turning back towards Apple, "And what exactly did I do to Liam? I know he was 15 when I did it, but he wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details."

Neal took that as his queue and stepped between Apple and Jones before things got ugly. His expression was as cold as his voice when he turned to look at Hook, "Out of respect for my sister, this conversation is over. I suggest, if you want answers about Liam, you talk to Roland." He sneered, the expression foreign on his features, but honest none the less, "Though I'd bring a sword with you, if you have any hope of making it out of that conversation alive."

"Bloody Hell!" Hook roared, advancing on him.

"Neal!" He felt it immediately, the tickle of magic, and then the cold hard steel encased in leather, worn smooth on the grip; molding his hand perfectly. It was an extension of his arm, just as Roland had taught him, and he raised the long sword menacingly at his brother-in-law.

Hook immediately stopped, taking a side step to more fully cover Emma. "Now hold on there, Mate. I want answers, not a fight."

"Too bad," Neal hissed. He never lost control, not unless someone hurt the ones he loved, and none had done that more than Hook. "I'd be doing us all a favor if I just got rid of you now, before Emma made the biggest mistake of her life."

"Neal," Apple's long fingers wrapped around his sword arm, "Come on, this isn't your fight."

"He's my nephew, my little brother, and I should have been there to protect him!" Guilt, insurmountable, overwhelmed him. Liam had asked him to go on that fateful fishing trip, but he'd wanted to spend the evening at the ball pretending not to be staring at Apple all night. He'd let Liam go on his own because never in a million years had he suspected that the kind and loving father Killian had been, would turn overnight into the monster he'd become.

She ducked under his sword arm and pressed her hands to his chest, not pushing, but ready if she had too. "It wasn't your fault, and now it's not your place to defend him. That's Roland's job, and trust me, he'll make it hurt a lot more than your generous heart would."

Glancing down, he saw the love and respect she held for him shining brightly in her blue eyes, and though he glanced back up at Hook, he let his sword drop before turning to the side and sheathing it in the scabbard Apple had returned to his belt.

When he looked back up at Jones, his neutrality had returned. "I am infinitely aware that you are in the dark about the future, and all your heinous betrayals. That is the only," he stressed the word, "reason I am walking away from this fight." He took a step towards Jones, his free arm capturing Apple so she wouldn't fall over due to his advance. "But if you approach my nephew, if you talk to him, look at him," he drew a calming breath, "then I will not hesitate to run your bigoted, cowardly heart through." He raised a hand, his finger pointed at Hook's chest, "My killing you will not stop my mission, so do not tempt me, or any of us, to end you."

Then he turned his gaze on Emma, and the cold contempt was still there, "I will contact you later to find out what you learned. In the meantime, keep him," he indicated Killian with tip of his chin, "away from us, or I won't be responsible for what we do to him."

"OK," his father said, standing with the sleeping baby Neal still in his arms. "I don't know what's going on, and it's time that changed." He glanced between Neal and Apple, "We are going to sit down and figure this out."

His mother nodded, "Your father's right!" Then she blinked, "Wow, that was weird." She shook it off before addressing the room. "Anyway, we barely know why you're here, and we might be able to help you. So you and Apple, are coming to our house for dinner." She looked at Henry and then Emma, "Henry, you and Emma too, and" she looked up and hesitated for a moment before finishing the invite list, "and Regina, I think you should be there as well."

Then his mother smiled at him, and once again, he felt her unconditional love flow bright and warm through him, "Now, what do you want me to cook you for dinner?"

* * *

><p>"Hello your majesty. Nice couch. I jest, it's hideous."<p>

"Maleficent!" The once King Victor, stood from behind the desk in his study, while his wife, Queen Ona, gasped and dropped the baby sweater she was knitting.

"Oh no, don't get up on my account." She smiled devilishly, gliding into the room like the terrifying woodland queen she'd once been. "After all, this is your home, and I'm just the uninvited guest," she sighed dramatically, "once again. We do have to stop meeting this way."

Then her eyes lit up with pure malice, "By the way, how is our dear, sweet, princess? Well rested I hope?"

"You witch!" Victor began, rounding his desk, but a tap of her staff had him frozen in place as Ona ran to his side, tears sliding down her panicked face.

"Please, let's not degrade to name calling. Witch? Really!" Then she pointed her staff at him, and eyed him with all the hatred contained within her dark heart. "Now that was beneath even you, Victor."

Straightening, she walked over to a high backed, black leather chair, and put her arms against the rests, eyeing the royal family who had taken everything from her so long ago. "You see, a dear friend of mine recently betrayed me and normally I'd just kill her, but I want her to suffer." She smiled, "And the first step, is to let her think bygones are bygones. Which means I need to invite her over for tea, and since I don't currently have a home," she waved her staff in a circular motion, and watched the couple drop unconsciously to the floor, "I'll be taking yours."

With a luxurious sigh, she stretched her legs out in front of her and deftly kicked off her elegant heels, before leaning back into the depths of the comfortable chair, and began to plan her revenge.

* * *

><p>"Easy there, Rabbit. Here, have some tea." He poured her a cupa, watching her arms shake as she reached out to take the cup and saucer. "That bad, eh?"<p>

She nodded, tears in her eyes and her voice thick with sadness, "He didn't believe me. I looked him right in the eye, told him I could fix everything, and he didn't believe me."

Jefferson patted her knee, "The Dark One isn't known for being very forgiving. It'll take time to win him over, especially if that doppelganger is clouding his judgment."

Belle nodded, wiping away at her tears. "It's not as if Rumple hasn't made his fair share of mistakes. And I know, I know what I've done but—"

"Belle," Jefferson crooned, coming to sit next to her on the couch, his hand on her knee, "You haven't done anything. Not really. All of this can be fixed. No one would begrudge you a coping mechanism when dealing with the Dark One, and let's face it, a few drinks certainly doesn't compare to the lengths Cora and Regina went to thanks to his madness. And besides, nothing you do right now will have any bearing on Morganna in the future. Right? She told you how to fix the timeline, and that's all that matters now, fixing it from the beginning, so Rumple never betrays you, and you never force him to leave the town."

With a playful bump of his shoulder to her's, he smiled broadly and clapped his hands together as if to dust them off, "As if it never happened, any of it. We just need to get Gold to listen to you, right?"

She nodded, and he smiled, his hand settling on her knee once again before he gave it a gentle squeeze and rose to his feet to cross the white room. "But making the Dark One listen to you hasn't always been easy. He's stubborn and ornery, which is why we're going to need to think outside the box, and I have just the thing for that."

With a flourish, he opened a drawer and withdrew a red velour sack that immediately began to struggle in his grasp. He tapped the bag a few times, and though it at first moved wildly, soon settled down.

Skeptically, she eyed the bag, "What's that?"

"This," he said jovially, "is the solution to our little problem. I picked it up in Wonderland. It's the perfect thing for what we need."

Returning to her side, he smiled at her, charmingly, "It's a Thinkingspot, very useful when you need some inspiration." With nimble fingers, he untied the bag and slid it down to a thin black disk no bigger than a pin head.

"That little thing did all that thrashing?" Belle asked incredulously, drawing her hand away from the still black spot.

He nodded, "They have a lot to think about, and are very strong, but they get the job done." Reaching around the small disk, he took her hand. "What do you say, Belle, ready to figure out how to get Rumplestiltskin to believe his wife over that imposter pretending to be your daughter?"

As he knew she would, she nodded. "Whatever it takes."

"That's what I like to hear." Drawing her hand towards the spot, she gasped to see it shiver before long spindly legs unwound from it and it rose six inches high. Skittishly, it walked towards her hand, and though she jerked instinctively, he held it firmly, his thumb brushing back and forth over her knuckles. "Don't worry, Rabbit, like all good ideas they have to sink in first."

Suddenly the Thinkingspot pounced, its long legs going needle sharp and plunging into the back of Belle's wrist. She cried out, jerking away from his grip, but he held tight, watching each of the creature's six long legs stab into her wrist and slide up and into her arm.

"No!"

"There, there, Rabbit. Just a little more."

The smell of burning flesh filled the room, and Belle screamed for only a moment before the Thinkingspot's venom released and she drew quiet.

Vacant eyes stared across the room as he rose from the couch and deposited the bag back into its drawer. "In Wonderland, we all to think a little mad, and a Thinkingspot does just the trick." He leaned against the desk and looked back at the woman staring into nothing. "That little spot will do all your thinking for you, so you don't have to think. You just have to do exactly, what I tell you too."

He picked up the decanter of Forgotten Bitters, and lifted the stopper before walking back to the couch and pouring a generous amount into Belle's tea cup.

"There's no harm in a drink, Belle. After all, you just need to convince your husband that Morganna isn't his real daughter, and then none of it will matter anymore because you'll be able to fix time. So drink up, Rabbit, go on, drink up."

And dutifully, Belle lifted the tea cup, and emptied it in one long scorching gulp.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I couldn't resist doing this chapter. Hopefully you laugh as much as I did writing it.

* * *

><p>The gut wrenching screams from the upstairs bedroom nearly startled him from his study chair. On his feet in a moment, he infused his leg with magic and tore down the hallway and up the stairs, all the while listening to his baby girl scream.<p>

Throwing open the door was the sight of a father's worst nightmare.

Naked and obviously interrupted, Anna was curled into a fetal position, her hands buried into her hair piled into a high and intricate braid at the top of her head. Liam was leaning over her from the side, trying his best to sooth her while an equally naked Roland was slamming open and closed desk drawers.

Both men had the decency to blanch and turn away from him as the door he'd thrown open slammed against the wall. Liam found a blanket and quickly covered Anna who was too out of her mind to notice his presence.

The sensation of broken magic permeated the room, and to his trained eyes, made the objects in the room shimmer minutely as the magic was reabsorbed.

He stiffened and averted his eyes, "What is wrong with her?"

Roland answered stiffly, "She's having a vision, a powerful one that broke Liam's spell. We need to find her art supplies before the migraine overwhelms her."

Liam groaned as he tried desperately to sooth the still wailing Morganna, "She said she looked and she didn't have any. Damnit, hold on!"

With a wave of his hand, Liam vanished in a cloud of yellow magic; and that's when he saw it, her eyes.

They were electric blue, and sightless.

* * *

><p>"This smells delicious, Mom!"<p>

Apple smiled at her fiancé before turning to look at her future mother-in-law, "He's right, it smells amazing. You are seriously the best cook!"

His mother blushed, "Oh, why thank you, Apple." Glancing over at Regina, the two of them shared a look, a tad uncomfortable; but it always was between them.

Apple had made it clear that her father and brother were coming as well, and so little Roland sat next to her, and she leaned over to remind him of his manners. "Tell Snow the food smells good."

"The food smells yummy, Ms. Snow, but I don't like vegetables."

Across from him, Regina and Robin smiled while Henry, who was seated on the other side of Roland, pointed at the green beans. "But they'll make you big and strong! You have to eat a lot of vegetables if you want to get big like Little John, right?"

Roland looked skeptical and turned to look at his father for confirmation. "He's right, Roland. Vegitables," Robin pointed to the green beans, "especially beans will make you exceptionally strong. Just like those super heroes in the paper books Henry gave you."

Apple looked at her brother quizzically, and Henry shrugged, "I gave him some of my old Marvel comics. He likes the Hulk."

"HULK SMASH!" Roland suddenly cried and banged on the table, with a fist, upsetting the water glasses meticulously laid out.

"Geesh Henry, you've seen our brother, give him something to read that doesn't glorify anger management issues."

Henry glanced between Roland and Apple, "Maybe that's a good idea."

"You think," she said dryly, before reaching over Roland's head and ruffling Henry's hair. "Ha! You have no idea how awesome it is not to be the little sister right now."

"You two," Regina ventured, hesitantly, though she now had all three of her children's undivided attention, "I mean, you three, seem very close."

Apple nodded enthusiastically, "We're all really, really close. Henry was a lot older when I was born, but he and Roland have been buddies from the beginning, isn't that right, Roland?"

"Yeah! Henry's awesome!" Roland exclaimed beaming from ear to ear.

Apple chuckled. "Henry was great. He," she paused, and for a moment, considered her words carefully, "He, well, he really took on an active role with Roland when dad left. They became really close."

Under the tablecloth, he slid his hand to her thigh and gave it a gentle rub. Apple was happiest talking about the time after her parent's split, anything before was difficult for her.

"And you and Henry," Regina asked, moving the conversation from a still confusing topic.

"Oh, well, you know, Henry's my big brother. Even though he was married and everything, we were still really close."

"He's married?" Emma said, her eyes wide as she sat between Robin and their father. Regina too had leaned forward.

"Well sure—" Apple started.

"But," he finished, "We're not going to talk about that."

"Wait, what? Why?" Apple turned to look at him.

"Because Henry has to forge his own path, we don't know how long we're going to be here, and 13 is not a good age to tell a girl that in a few years they're going to be married and working on baby number two."

"I have a baby!" Henry gasped before turning towards baby Neal in the swing. "That is so neat. Am I a good dad?"

Apple nodded, "The best! Mom says it's because you got so much practice with me and Roland, but," realizing what she'd said, she glanced up at her father who's shoulders had slumped. "Sorry dad, but it's true. Like we said, Roland was 12 when you came back, and someone had to show him, you know, how to be a man and stuff. Whatever it is you men talk about when us women folk aren't around." She turned back to Henry.

"Like you showed Roland how to shave! That, now that was freaking hilarious!"

"He was shaving at 12?" Robin asked, startled.

Apple's expression fell, "Well, no, not exactly. I think he was 14, but he asked Henry to show him how." She rushed forward when she saw the haunted look in Robin's eyes. "But it was really funny, because he went out and bought this really cheap razor and cut up his face and mom had to patch him. But before that, he came out of the bathroom with his face half covered with toilet paper, it was a riot. Liam made fun of him for next five years."

"I didn't even teach him to shave," Robin said, looking over at his son with desperate sorrow. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't," he said, attracting all of the eyes at the table. "Our presence here is only supposed to change things from the point in time we arrived. Which means either you forget that Regina was responsible between now and Apple's birth, or something else is going on here." He turned to look at Apple. "I've been thinking about this since last night. Belle said Anna looked different, and if what Belle parroted back from Anna is to be believed, then the Sorcerer figured out her plan, and we might be walking into some kind of trap."

"What was her plan exactly," his father asked, and then looking sorry to say it, and add, "She doesn't strike me as the type who'd craft a strong one."

He shook his head, "She isn't, but remember Anna can see the future as well as spin Threads of Fate. This wouldn't be the first time she's used a vision to take some action."

Apple nodded, "The last time diverted an entire war with Agrabah and the genies, so generally speaking, when she interferes on her own, it's for a good reason." She turned back to look at him. "So what are you thinking? That the Sorcerer is somehow messing even more with this timeline?"

"I don't know," he shook his head and then laughed depreciatively, "this time travel stuff is too complicated for my brain. We need Cru to figure it all out."

"Cruella," his mother asked in shock, "What does she know about time travel?"

"A lot actually. But more importantly, she knows a lot about the Sorcerer." The blank stares around the table made him sigh, "Her sister, Mim had a rocky relationship with him a very, long, long time ago. It's a long story, but suffice it to say, she knows a thing or two, and if we want to figure out what he might have done, we're going to need her help."

Apple latched on, "Right, and since Cru and Ursula are good friends with Auntie Mel," she looked over and beamed at her mother, "I guess you're going to have to get on Auntie Mel's good side again if we want Cru to help us."

Regina groaned, "I can appreciate that in the future, Maleficent and I bury the hatchet, but I'd rather not find out that where we buried it was in my back."

"You worry too much, mom," Apple waved away. "You and Mel really do patch things up. I mean, she was always at the house, and then when we went back to Raven's Keep, she basically lived there. So relax, put on your big girl panties, and apologize because you were totally a terrible friend."

"Did you," Regina eyed her daughter, "just tell me to 'put on my big girl panties'?"

Apple looked embarrassed, "OK, maybe I should have phrased that different."

"What about how Emma and Hook's action broke time?" His father pushed forward to stop the argument, "I don't understand how Elsa's appearance did nothing, but Marion's did."

He shrugged, "I don't know either. Maybe because Elsa did eventually escape and got her kingdom back? Maybe because Marion wasn't supposed to be—" he caught himself and glanced at Roland who was busy glaring at the beans, "be here in any sense. Either way, Cru's going to have more answers than I do on the subject. I'm just following Regina's orders."

"Regina told you to come back and," Emma paused, "Stop Marion."

Indignation colored, Regina's face red, "And what are you implying, Ms. Swan?"

His sister shrugged, "Look, I'd understand, she broke up your marriage. All I'm saying is, maybe there's a reason only Marion was targeted. I'm not accusing you-"

"Well that's what it sounds like," Henry suddenly piped in, glaring at his blond mother. "My mom," he looked over at Roland and Apple, "our mom is a better person now. Grandpa said that she's the leader of the Circle Points, and she's working for the side of good."

"She is!" Apple injected.

Henry continued, "So my mom didn't do this, which means we need to look at this Sorcerer guy."

"Nice, Henry. Very nice." Apple smirked over at her brother, reaching around Henry to give him a high five.

With a sigh, Henry turned back to look at Emma, "I know my mom did some evil things in the past, but she's not the Evil Queen anymore. She's, um," Henry died out thinking about the new title for his mother.

"Technically, she's still the Mayor of Storybrooke since Snow took back her kingdom,"

"Your mom gave it back," he interjected into their old argument.

"Like she had much choice!" Apple tossed back before continuing. "But when we got back to the Enchanted Forest, King John didn't want to go back, so my mom took over his kingdom and renamed it Ravendale. The main castle is Raven's Keep. You would have inherited it if you hadn't abdicated to Roland so you could be king of Emma's lands, but then Roland didn't want it, so he ablactated to me." She waved her hand, "But then Liam gave up the crown ship, and I was dating Neal, and so I reinstated Roland, and now he's set to inherit Ravendale." She groaned, "But trust me, there's a lot of controversy over that one. Let's just say the Enchanted Forest is not an enlightened place, and Roland and Liam weren't exactly discrete. Add into that the fact that Roland is going to marry Rumplestiltskin's daughter, and the people are freaking out."

"Wait," Henry said, putting both hands on the table, "Did you just say I'm going to be a king?"

Apple glared, "Out of all of that, that's what you got?"

Neal just laughed, "Spoken like a true 13 year old. Trust me, Henry, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Do I really have to eat beans to get strong, Papa?" Roland asked suddenly, having ignored the conversation around him to glare at the hated beans.

Robin's eyes misted over, and rising from his chair, he rounded the table, and lifted Roland into his arms and held him tightly. His voice was watery as he bent down next to Apple and drew her under his other arm. Hesitantly, her arms came around his shoulders. "Yes, my boy, you have to eat them. And then you'll grow up to be big and strong so you can take care of your sister," he looked over at Regina, "and your mother. You'll take care of your mother too, when Papa can't be there."

"Dad," Apple started sadly.

"Don't cry, Papa," Roland had leaned back, and his small baby hands were gently wiping away his father's tears. "I'll eat them, I promise."

"Dad, don't—"

A burst of yellow magic filled the air directly behind Snow's chair, and Neal stood immediately at the threat, only to blanch when Liam stood stark naked in front of them.

"What the—" he began but was cut off as Liam spotted his target and rounded the table.

"Henry, I need those art supplies, now!"

"Holy crap, Liam put that thing away!" Apple covered her eyes.

"You think I wanted to be naked and in Grandma's kitchen. No! But Anna's having a vision, and we don't have any bloody art supplies!"

"And you couldn't stop long enough to put some damn pants on?" Apple continued, hiding behind her napkin.

"Oh I'm sorry, I figured this was the lesser of two evils considering Anna's vision disrupted my spell, and her screaming had her father busting down the door. Between you're squeamishness and Rumplestiltskin knowing what I just did to his daughter, I'm picking you, sweetheart!" He glared at Henry who'd been too stunned to move, "Oy, kid! Move your ass, I need those paints!"

Shaken, Henry bolted out of his chair, knocking it over, and raced for his bedroom.

Neal walked over to his baby self, swinging in the chair and grabbed the blanket covering him before walking back and handing it to Liam, trying not to laugh. "So, what exactly were you doing to Anna?"

"You cocky, bastard!" Liam snapped the blanket out of his grasp before tying it haphazardly around his waist. "He's the bloody, Dark One! Least you have to worry about is Regina! I'm afraid to go back there and see what he's done with Roland."

Then Liam smirked, having found and in, and leaned down to speak lightly into Apple's ear, "And technically, I was done. It was Roland who got interrupted—"

"Ah!" She screamed, jumping out of her seat. She was immediately in Liam's face. "I have told you, and told you, Jones, stop telling me about my brother's sex life! The three of you just go and do your thing, and I will live in my happy little bubble where none of you have sex ever!"

Pulling back, she took a wild, playful swing at him, and Liam ducked, dancing back behind Snow's chair.

"Oy, you hit like a girl, Dannie Apple!"

"I'm going to kill you, Jones!"

"Wait a minute!" Emma suddenly yelled, stopping the horseplay between Liam and Apple who were both breathing hard and grinning. "You said Anna was screaming?"

"Yeah" he waved dismissively, "nothing to worry about once I get those paints to her. Speaking of which," he turned his head to bellow down the hall, "Hurry up, Mate!"

"But, but she's screaming." Snow said, and Liam looked at his grandmother and ducked down to kiss the top of her head and give her a one armed hug. "Yeah, but it's just a bad one. Scares her more than anything. Big visions equal big pain, but once I get that brush in her hand, she'll be fine. She was already better when I skedaddled." He shook his head suddenly and closed his eyes. "You know, it's a lot easier to live with the Dark One when we have our own wing."

Apple took a potshot, "Please, you're sloppy when you're horny. He's walked in on you three like a dozen times."

"Three! Three times, and two of those times weren't my fault. And every bloody time he does it, I know he's going back to his dark little hovel of a spell room to cast some evil spell on me. You remember what happened last time."

Neal couldn't help it, he laughed.

"Exactly!" Liam said, throwing out his arm and nearly losing the blanket. "I had that headache for an entire month, you remember! Coincidence, I think not!"

"Sorry!" Henry raced back into the room, a drawing pad and some colored pencils peeking out over the lip of his backpack. "I couldn't find a bag but you can just take this one. And the paint was all dried up, only the black still worked so I threw it in there." He handed the bag to Liam and stepped back, "Is that Neal's baby blanket?"

Liam rolled his eyes, "No, I like running around in Thomas the Tank kilts, lets the family jewels air a bit."

Henry's face fell at the sarcastic response, and thankfully Liam saw it. His large hand reached out to clap his big brother on the shoulder, "I'm just kidding. Thanks for these Henry, you're the best brother a guy could have."

Then he turned to face Apple, and threw out with a cheeky grin, "By the way, took Roland three seconds to realize Anna was having a vision instead of a mind blowing or—"

"I'm going to kill you!"

With a dramatic puff of magic, Liam disappeared, his laughter lingering in the disheveled room.

* * *

><p>"How long will it take her to complete?"<p>

Roland shrugged, "She'll be done when she's done. Sometimes she works quickly, sometimes it can take her all day."

The pirate's son had excused himself to shower after supplying Anna with colored pencils, and Roland had remained to help her sit up in bed and begin the process of drawing her vision. Her blue eyes glowed with an inner light that made them radiate electric blue, but Roland seemed unconcerned, and he'd let it go as a common occurrence.

"Is, is she still in pain?"

Anna's keening whimpers had disappeared once the pad of paper and had been placed in her lap and the pencil in her hand, and though her expression was completely relaxed and vacant, the thought that she might be silently suffering was more than he could bear.

"No, Mr. Gold, she's fine now. She probably won't even remember that she started screaming."

He nodded, watching his daughter work. It was a strange sight. Unlike an artist who blocks his paintings with a rough sketch, Anna was instead working like a printer; using the black pencil in her hand to draw all the dark and shaded spots, starting at the top of the page and working down. It made sense then, how Roland had lined up her colors in a single file line.

"So," Roland began nervously, and his head came up to eye the boy. "Do you want to talk ab—"

"I would prefer to never speak of it again."

"Right, good idea."

* * *

><p>The knock on the bedroom door was light and hesitant. "Mrs. Gold? Mrs. Gold, may I come in?"<p>

The door popped open to reveal Grace, and Belle set down her book and nodded, "Of course, Grace."

The new teen nodded and pushed her way in, carrying a silver tray. "You didn't come down to dinner and I thought you might be hungry."

"How thoughtful," she smiled, and beckoned the girl inside. "Thank you, I didn't realize I'd missed dinner." She scented the air, "It smells delicious, did you cook this?"

Grace looked down at the blow of soup and half burnt grilled cheese, before nodding solemnly, "Yeah. The soup is from a can, but I made the sandwich. Papa's stove is different from my mom an," she corrected herself, "from Brandy and Mark's, so I sometimes burn things. I tried to pick off the worst of the burned parts."

She patted the bed next to her, "Well I think it looks absolutely amazing. And you'll get the hang of that stove soon enough. I'm sure your Papa is ecstatic to have you cooking for him."

Grace nodded, her face breaking into a happy smile. "He says everything I cook him is better than the last, but I know he's fibbing so he doesn't hurt my feelings. Still, he always eats everything, so it can't be that bad."

Reaching out her hand she took the sandwich and broke it in half before lifting the burned part to her lips and taking a bite. The charred bread was dry and bitter, but she chewed expressively and swallowed, "I think it's wonderful. Maybe tomorrow you could show me how to make something?"

"I'd like that!" Grace said, sitting up with a blooming smile, "And maybe you could teach me to make something, Mrs. Gold."

She smiled, "How about orange freezer jam? The baby loves oranges. Orange juice, orange jam, even orange candy." She reached out a gentle hand to caress her stomach and watched as Grace eyed her curiously.

"Is she moving? I heard it's a girl, and that babies move a lot when you give them the things they want."

Belle nodded and smiled at Grace, "It is a girl, an ugly, deformed, stupid child. But don't worry, I have a plan to make her all better."

"Mrs., Mrs. Gold?"

"Grace," Jefferson's voice was mildly disapproving as he stood in the door, "Are you bothering Mrs. Gold? I thought I told you to let her rest."

With one parting glance, Grace stood and walked over to her Papa. "I'm sorry Papa, but I thought Mrs. Gold might be hungry, so I brought her some dinner."

"Which was very kind of you, Grace." She said warmly. "You're a very good girl to take such good care of your guests."

Jefferson nodded, taking Grace under his arm, "You're very kind, Belle. We'll leave you to get some rest. Come along, Grace."

"Goodnight," she called, before putting the uneaten sandwich back on the tray, and retrieving her book.

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><p>AN: So, did you laugh or cry?<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: First, let me just say, I like milk. Second, this chapter is not about opening a political or moral debate on nature vs choice, and I have no secret agenda. Lastly, I like Killian.

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><p>"My, my, Regina, you're looking a little haggard. Guilt eating you alive, Dear?"<p>

Apple popped up around her mom, holding the neck of an expensive bottle of red in one hand, and three glasses in another. "Yes! Which is why we're here. I've got booze, and I already ordered Chinese food, which'll be here in about," she checked her watch as Maleficent stared, "Oh like fifteen minutes. So," she muscled her way into the house, "where should I put this stuff?"

Maleficent turned to look back at her, "This perky creature actually came from you?"

She smiled wistfully, a look that started her once friend, and then shook her head, "Apparently she was lucky enough not to inherit my personality."

"Geesh, you can say that again. OK, I'm just going to go set this up in the living room. You've got to have a corkscrew around here somewhere. It'll suck if I have to pay magic's price because you don't have a properly stocked liquor cabinet." Apple drifted off into the house, her voice dying out as she went.

"I like her," Maleficent smirked, swigging the door open all the way. "Well, are you coming in, or are you going to give me the satisfaction of slamming this door in your face?"

She scowled, but lifted her foot to step inside before thinking better of it. Resting her hand on the door stop she asked, "Can I assume the floorboards are spelled to do something nasty to me when I cross the threshold?"

"That depends, friend," Maleficent said sweetly, "how much do you like your feet?"

Rolling her eyes, she threw down a counter spell, feeling the magic in the house release. From deeper in the house, presumably the kitchen, her daughter cried out, "Hey now! No spells in the house! Don't make me break out my bow on you two!"

"Now she sounds like you."

"Haha, very funny. If you're done trying to kill me—"

"I haven't decided yet," Mel eyed her warily. "But," she stepped aside, "I am up for some company after being trapped in a cave for 30 years only to be murdered by the Savior and forced into an endless hell as a wraith."

"How generous," she said dryly, crossing the threshold and moving into the stolen house. "By the way, should I be expecting a call from our sheriff about Aurora's missing parents?"

Mel closed the door behind her, "Come now, Regina, I've been cleaning up your messes for years, you can take one for the team."

"Right," she said as Apple came back into the room.

"OK, found a corkscrew. By the way, there are two dead people at the bottom of the basement stairs, you might want to do something about them."

As she blanched, Mel scoffed, "They're not dead, just sleeping like the dead. A little curse I cooked up ages ago. I figured some rest would do them some good. Did you see the bags under Ona's eyes, she looked positively hideous."

"So this is your plan," she said turning on Maleficent, "Get right back up to your old tricks again?"

Mel shrugged, "Why mess with perfection?"

"Exactly!" Apple said, to her shock. She was still trying to figure out her daughter's propensity for good vs. evil. It seemed she, like her mother, skirted the line often.

"You approve?" Mel asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Of you making Mitchel's mom sweat, yeah, that I definitely approve of." A dark expression floated over Apple's face.

"Mitchel, Aurora's son, harmed you in some way," she asked, feeling her ire rise.

"Me?" Apple asked, "No, not me. Morganna, yes. And anyone who messes with my girl, gets the ax. Oh!" She turned towards Mel, "Listen, if you do have any axes in the house, don't burying them in mom's back, she's a little paranoid about it."

"Really?" Mel smiled devilishly.

She shook her head, "Don't be ridiculous—"

"Really," her daughter said emphatically, throwing her under the bus. When she glared, Apple glared right back.

"Who's side are you on?"

Rolling her eyes, her daughter sat on the white couch and began to pour the wine into the crystal glasses, "I'm on the side of the two of you becoming friends again, and that means being honest with each other. So will you two please just cut the crap, scream at each other a little—without magic—and then get on with the girl talk, because it's been too long since I had a drink and I could sure use one."

She reached for the glass just as Regina stepped forward and smacked her hand, "What are you doing? You're not 21!"

Looking at her as if she'd grown a third eye, her daughter blurted out, "But you let me drink back home!"

"Well," she said, taking the glass and handing it to Mel before picking up another for herself, "You're not home, you're in Storybrooke, so you can march yourself back into the kitchen and have some milk."

"Ugh!" She cried, throwing up her hands, "I hate milk! Why do parents always make you drink milk? That stuff is gross, and do you know what it is? I mean, what it REALLY is?! It's disgusting!" But she wound her way through the living room and back into the kitchen anyway.

"How very motherly of you," Mel supplied sardonically.

She gave her friend a look, "I might have had some practice."

"Ah that's right, the Savior's boy, what's his name again? Oh yes, Henry. Now where have I heard that name before—"

"Mel," she said, suddenly feeling sick, "don't—"

"Oh that's right! It's your father's name. Now," Mel put her finger to her mouth as she moved across the room to settle into a chair, "whatever happened to him?"

There were some wound from her old life that would never close. Of all her murder and mayhem, her father's death was the one that haunted her sleep. It was an act she couldn't run from, much like Rumple's son was for him, and she imagined she'd die seeing the love and betrayal on her father's face when her time finally came.

Warily, she sat down on the couch and turned to look out the window at the sunny day. This was the life she'd paid such a high price for. A beautiful son, who's love broke and reformed her daily; a new daughter who looked exactly like her, and seemed to skate the fine edges of morality in ways she never could and feared; a true love, who's touch she craved every night, but who apparently was destined to break her heart; and a step son, who's love for the people he cared about was tangible, but who's rage at the world was frighteningly close to her own.

In 48 hours she had acquired a glimpse into a future she hadn't expected, filled with as much pain as her past, but promised a joy she couldn't quite comprehend yet.

Pressure on her glass nearly had her dropping it, and if it hadn't been for Mel's hand on her own, she might have. Her once friend—only friend—was refilling her glass, her expression neutral. "Drink. You look like you could use it."

Her hand not holding the glass reached out and clasped Maleficent's wrist, causing their eyes to lock. "I couldn't reverse the spell. There was no magic in Storybrooke, at least not enough to make you human again. And then," she paused, knowing she had to say the words, "after magic did return, I thought you were dead. Emma said she'd killed you. By the time I learned you had become a wraith," she dropped Mel's eyes and looked away.

"I didn't know how to bring you back."

The wine bottle Mel had been pouring from hit her wrist and she looked up to see that same neutral expression as Mel passed her the bottle. The blond returned to her place in the single chair, and took a healthy swallow of her own wine.

"You visited."

And she had. In some of her darkest moments, after she'd forced Graham to become her lover, after Henry had returned dragging his 'real mother' home, when she'd lost Daniel yet again, she had descended into the depths of the mines and spoken her heart to a friend she thought couldn't hear or understand her. The fact Maleficent knew she'd been there at all was startling.

Mel saw her expression and scoffed, "You forget, Dear, I'm older than I look, much older. You think you're the first friend to screw me over? Hardly. I couldn't count the number of times Ursula has made me regret our friendship, if I counted every sucker on her eight meaty little tentacles. But," and she took a long drink from her glass, her eyes cast unseeing towards the far end of the room, "you were the last one I expected to betray me."

She didn't know what to say. The pain in her chest told her what she already knew, that as always, the opinions of her friend and mentor mattered to her. A just world would allow her to blame her actions on madness, but the truth was, revenge had been the most powerful force in her life, and only recently had she found the courage to let it go.

So she opened her mouth and confessed. "You were my only friend, Maleficent." Sharp blue eyes, cut across the room to dagger her own. "I regretted only two things about casting the curse, my father's death, and imprisoning you." She looked down at her glass. "It felt like the right thing to do at the time. You'd withheld the curse from me, delaying my revenge against Snow White until almost the moment the curse became useless." Courage forced her eyes to meet Mel's once again, "But it didn't take long for me to wish I'd done a lot of things differently."

"That's your apology," Mel asked dryly, and Regina held her friend's eye and nodded. After a moment, Maleficent scoffed and turned away.

Some noise by the entrance way into the room had her looking up, and she saw her daughter standing with a soda can, a smile on her face as she looked at her "Auntie Mel", before she glanced at her mother and gave her a brighter smile, and a wink.

"Fine," Maleficent suddenly said, standing and crossing the room once again to stand before her. "It was a pathetic apology, but I suppose you haven't had a lot of practice. Very well, I accept your apology. Now, stop being a terrible mother, and pour your clever daughter a drink. After all, milk is disgusting."

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><p>Killian stood on the bow of the Jolly Roger. The hatred on his son's face, on the faces of those his son called friends, swirled in his mind, mingling together with the look on Henry's face when he'd accused him of hurting Emma.<p>

He replayed scenario after scenario in his mind. What could have pushed him so far as to nearly murder his own son?

From the time he'd been a lad he'd dreamed of a family of his own. The decision to leave Bae behind with his father when Milah had come aboard his ship, had been her own, and he was man enough to admit he'd wanted to bed her more than play the role of doting father at the time.

But regret had eaten at him in the years that had passed, until he came upon the boy in Neverland, and had done everything he could to protect him without drawing Pan's attention.

More than once though, he'd watched Henry, seeing Bae in his little gestures, and longed for a true connection that could only come between father and son, or brothers.

He'd named his son after his brother.

The ache in his chest was so profound it forced him to lean against the rail, staring out into the empty sea before him.

"For once," he turned to see Emma stepping onto the deck, "You look like that coat actually does weight 50 lbs."

Normally he would have smiled, but his heart was too heavy for the action. Instead, he reached out his hand to her, and felt warmed by her smaller body pressed against his. "Killian," she began, "We don't know all the facts yet, and until we do, you can't beat yourself up over something we don't even understand."

"We don't have to understand it, Swan, because it's inexcusable. I hurt our son, and if it's to be believed, I nearly killed him. He's a good boy, you can see it in him. A bit more than Dandy, but a good boy none the less."

"Dandy?" Emma pulled back, confused by the term.

For a moment he struggled to find a clean way of getting his meaning across, finally settling on, "You understand, prefers the company of blokes to broads."

"Gay. Yeah, he's definitely gay." She smiled, caught in a memory.

"Well he did seem happy, but that's not what I meant—"

She laughed, patting his chest, "No, no, it's an earth thing. Gay means men that sleep with other men."

He pulled back confused, "How does 'gay' translate into that?"

She shrugged, "No idea, it just does."

He sighed and then nodded his head. "Well then you're right, he is definitely gay. 'Cept he's taken up with the Crocodile's daughter as well. What's the local tongue for that?"

Emma gave her own sigh, "Bi. As in bisexual. You know sleeps with—"

"Yeah, I think I get the picture." His hand tightened against her waist, drawing her closer to him as the wind picked up off the Port side.

Her voice was hesitant and she'd stiffened in his arms due to more than just the chill. "Does, that bother you?"

He looked down at her, "The fact that our boy manages to find a bed in every port and doesn't give a wit about who he shares it with," he chuckled, and then sobered. "Maybe, a little. I'm a seaman Swan, and there are rules on the subject you simply don't break. But I was one man on a ship of men caught in a land filled with children and Indians. If my crew made the most of what they had, they kept it quiet, and didn't need me getting into the middle of it."

She pulled back, her eyes troubled, and he felt the stirrings of concern. "But it bothers you. You wouldn't want our son to be gay."

He turned to lean against the railing and threw out his hand, "Well I don't think he bothered to ask for my opinion, do you? Seems he saw what he wanted and went after it."

"No, no," she shook her head, stepping away from him, and suddenly he was more than a little concerned, "You have a problem with our son being gay."

His brow furrowed, "Well don't you?"

"No!" She cried, her face taking on a look of dawning horror. "No, I don't care at all! I mean he's happy, he looks happy! And Roland seems to take really good care of him, and Anna seems pretty devoted to him, so why would I care if he was sleeping with a guy or a girl?"

He shook his head and stepped away from the railing. His heart crashing into his chest when Emma pulled away from him, but he took a quick step forward to capture her arm. "Don't misunderstand me Emma, it's not the life I would have chosen for him, and I probably would have taken him straight to Tortuga and bought him three nights of the best whores on the island," she stiffened in his grip but he continued, "but if that's who he chooses to keep time with—"

"Killian, it's not a choice! Science has proven it's not a choice at all. We're either born straight or we're born gay. Our son was born gay."

He shook his head again, "Swan, a Dandy Boy through and through, wouldn't be taking the Crocodile's daughter in his bed as well. It's obviously nothing scientific, he just happens to like a rather, disturbing activity that I can't wrap my mind around."

Suddenly Emma jerked out of his grip, and her glare was darker than he'd ever seen it. "Disturbing? Our son is in a loving, committed relationship with two people that seem to adore him, and all you can say is it's disturbing?"

"Now, Swan, don't twist my words around." He chose to take a step back and give her some space, knowing Emma well enough that trapping her wouldn't do either one of them any good during their first parental argument. "All I'm saying is, I don't understand the appeal of two men going at it. But if that's what he wants, well I'm not going to stop him. He's a grown man, and can make his own choices."

"It's not a choice!"

He growled, "Luv, your pretty little science is more than a little lost on me. All I know is if Liam wants to make time with Regina's son, then that's his choice, but this business about the Crocodile's daughter reeks of a Rumplestiltskin plot."

The stillness that overtook Emma gave him more concern than her earlier outburst. "What? What did I say now?"

She furrowed her brow, "They called you a bigot. Apple and Neal, that's what they called you."

"Right, and it was more than a little offensive I assure you."

She shook her head, her hand going to her mouth in a gesture he'd never seen her perform and worried his heart. "Luv?"

"That has to be it, that must be what happened between you and Liam."

"What?" He asked, and then pressed at her pained look, "What are you thinking, Emma?"

In denial, her head moved back and forth, and to his horror tears sparkled in her eyes, "He's gay, Killian. You must have nearly killed him because he told you he was gay."


End file.
